Irish hip-hop group Kneecap doubled down on its criticism of Israel after being called out by TV personality Sharon Osbourne.
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap made calls to “free Palestine” and “F— Israel” during a set last Friday at the Coachella music festival. They also made references to genocide and condemned the U.S. military for its support of Israel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Kneecap also claimed last week that they were censored after pushing anti-Margaret Thatcher chants and other anti-Israel sentiments during their first show, which was reportedly cut off before their set ended. They proceeded to double down on the same type of political rhetoric.
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Osbourne, the wife of rock star Ozzy Osbourne, condemned the band and the festival that platformed them in a lengthy social media post.
“Kneecap, an Irish rap group, took their performance to a different level by incorporating aggressive political statements,” she said in part of a longer post on X. “Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech, and this band openly support terrorist organizations. This behavior raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such a festival and further shows they are booked to play in the USA.”
She concluded her lengthy post by declaring, “I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.”
When BBC News NI reached out to the band about Osbourne’s statements, Kneecap replied, “Statements aren’t aggressive, murdering 20,000 children is though.”
Kneecap’s manager, Daniel Lambert, spoke to Irish broadcaster RTÉ about the controversy as well, arguing, “If somebody is hurt by the truth, that’s something for them to be hurt by, but it’s really important to speak truth. Thankfully the lads are not afraid to do that.”
Lambert also claimed that the band has received death threats after the Coachella performance, but said they are “too severe to get into.”
Kneecap also responded to the backlash they have received via their band’s account on X.
“Since our statements at Coachella — exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people — we have faced a coordinated smear campaign,” the band claimed. “For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in war crimes. The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods. We are taking action against several of these malicious efforts. Let us be absolutely clear. The reason Kneecap is being targeted is simple — we are telling the truth, and our audience is growing.”
The band went on to claim, “Those attacking us want to silence criticism of a mass slaughter. They weaponize false accusations of antisemitism to distract, confuse, and provide cover for genocide. We do not give a f*ck what religion anyone practices. We know there are massive numbers of Jewish people outraged by this genocide just as we are. What we care about is that governments of the countries we perform in are enabling some of the most horrific crimes of our lifetimes — and we will not stay silent. No media spin will change this. Our only concern is the Palestinian people — the 20,000 murdered children and counting. The young people at our gigs see through the lies. They stand on the side of humanity and justice. And that gives us great hope.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the management of Kneecap, Coachella, and Coachella festival organizer Goldenvoice and did not receive immediate reply.