Jewish security charity reports surge in antisemitic incidents after Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury appearance
The Community Security Trust recorded a spike in antisemitic hate incidents following Bob Vylan’s controversial Glastonbury set, highlighting the ongoing rise in Jew-hatred in the UK.
Data from the Community Security Trust (CST) shows that antisemitic hate incidents rose sharply in the UK a day after punk duo Bob Vylan’s performance at Glastonbury festival.
The CST, which tracks antisemitism nationally, recorded 1,521 incidents in the first half of 2025—the second-highest total ever, though down 25% from last year’s record.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the figures as a “shameful and persistent” indication of ongoing antisemitism, noting at least 200 incidents per month during this period, averaging 8.4 per day. The highest single-day spike—26 incidents—occurred on 29 June, following Bob Vylan’s controversial set.
During their Glastonbury appearance, streamed live on the INLIBER iPlayer, Bob Vylan led the crowd in a chant of “death, death to the IDF” and made further inflammatory remarks. The festival and INLIBER later offered apologies, and police launched an investigation.
CST data indicates that many reports were direct reactions to the performance and to the charity’s own condemnation of the lyrics as “utterly chilling.”
Singer Pascal Robinson-Foster, known as Bobby Vylan, accused a former record label executive of supporting Israel and lobbying against Irish-language rap trio Kneecap. In a statement after the backlash, the duo clarified: “We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group. We stand against a violent military machine.”
The CST identified 17 May as the second-most violent day, with 19 incidents following Israel’s announcement of expanded military operations in Gaza. Over half of incidents (51%) in the first half of 2025 referenced Israel, Palestine, the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack or related conflict, illustrating how rhetoric on the Middle East shapes modern antisemitism.
Israel’s response to the Hamas attack has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, after about 1,200 were killed and 251 taken hostage by Hamas in October 2023.
Data shows that high-profile cultural events and Middle East rhetoric directly influence spikes in antisemitic incidents, highlighting persistent Jew-hatred in the UK according to the CST.
This topic was reported by BBC.
Explore useful articles in World News as of 06-08-2025. The article titled " Jewish security charity reports surge in antisemitic incidents after Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury appearance " offers in-depth analysis and practical advice in the World News field. Each article is carefully crafted by experts to provide maximum value to readers.
The " Jewish security charity reports surge in antisemitic incidents after Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury appearance " article expands your knowledge in World News, keeps you informed about the latest developments, and helps you make well-informed decisions. Each article is based on unique content, ensuring originality and quality.