Kneecap's Music & Messaging Have The Israel Lobby PANICKING!

Right, so music and politics have long gone hand in hand, there have been numerous songs and bands that have conveyed opinions and challenged prevailing narratives, from your Roger Waters to your Macklemore, for me in my youth I was heavily influenced by the Levellers who very much remain a dominant fixture on my playlist, artists
That have long served as a conscience for society, challenging oppression, poor policy and bad governance and giving voice to those marginalised by the actions of those in power.
It is in this regard that we should be looking at The Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap, hailing from Belfast, who very much embody this tradition of musicians, using their craft to challenge the politics and policies and the actions of the day, but of course when artists spotlight uncomfortable truths—such as the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza—they often become targets of political and media establishments more intent on silencing dissent than addressing the issues raised. Certainly having brought up Roger Waters, who has very much conveyed much the same messaging when it comes to Israel and Palestine, as Kneecap have most recently, we’re seeing a repeat of that same pattern.
The media and the establishment are coming for these guys again, and sure, they’ve apologised for saying something regrettable, but note the apology is considered meaningless and nothing less than silencing them will do, so is this really a story about what they said, or does it have more to do with being anti Israel and Pro-Palestine?
Right, so Kneecap. These guys formed in 2017and comprises of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí, the one sporting the tricolor balaclava as is his trademark and the trio are known for their provocative lyrics, blending Irish and English, and their unapologetic stance on Irish republicanism. Their music often satirises British authority and critiques systemic injustices, which, given these guys hail from Northern Ireland, I think echoes in no small part their own lived experiences, growing up in post-Troubles Northern Ireland.
Having developed in and emerging from this post-Troubles landscape of Belfast, the trio's music is obviously going to be influenced by that and given the nature of a lot of their lyrics you can appreciate how the socio-political realities of Northern Ireland have been a massive influence on them. Their lyrics are a mix of English and Irish, tackle themes of identity, resistance, and the scars of British colonialism still felt by many in Northern Ireland and actually Ireland as a whole and so you end up with this backdrop which provides context for their vehement opposition to British government and their solidarity with other oppressed peoples, who they recognise the same struggle in, notably the people of Palestine.
What is happening now isn’t the first attack on the band by the British government and media though. In December 2023, Kneecap applied for a £14,250 grant under the UK's Music Export Growth Scheme, designed to support UK artists in international markets. Despite initial approval, the grant was rescinded by the then Tory Business Secretary, a certain Kemi Badenoch, citing the band's opposition to the United Kingdom, whilst still saying they supported freedom of speech, just the right sort apparently, the Tory sort. Kneecap challenged this decision, arguing it was discriminatory based on political opinion and nationality and in November last year, the Belfast High Court ruled in their favour, deeming the government's action "unlawful and procedurally unfair." The government subsequently coughed up the cash and the band split in half and gave it away, it going to two youth organisations, one being nationalist and the other unionist.
For the bad this wasn’t simply about funding but about affirming the right to artistic expression without political interference, with DJ Próvaí saying it was never about £14,250, it could have just been 50p. Kneecap's decision to donate the grant to youth organisations in both nationalist and unionist communities further emphasised their commitment to cross-community engagement and social justice, to peace continuing in Northern Ireland, knowing what the alternative is.
And so we come to the here and now, Kneecap's performance at the Coachella music festival became a focal point of international attention. Displaying a message reading "[Eff] Israel, Free Palestine," the band made a pretty on the nose statement against the Israeli government's actions in Gaza and I certainly agree with that message given what they’re doing. Yet while many of us will have celebrated by this as a stand for human rights, it was met with swift condemnation from UK politicians and media outlets and various other mouthpieces who frankly should know better, Sharon Osbourne for one, which earned her the perfect rebuke to go and listen to her husband’s song War Pigs.
Its pro Palestine messaging though, its as anti Israel as you can be and so in come the Israel Lobby and those they’ve successfully lobbied, because this is how it works isn’t it? The backlash was immediate, with calls for the band to be banned from future performances and investigations launched into some of their statements.
Kneecap's outspoken nature has placed them at the centre of controversy. A 2023 performance included remarks such as "The only good Tory is a dead Tory" and "Kill your local MP," which has now led to widespread condemnation and a counter-terrorism investigation. That seems awfully convenient time wise doesn’t it. Now that isn’t to excuse what they said and the band have issued an apology, though have also stated their comments have been taken out of context and were not intended to incite violence.
Despite this, and despite the apology, figures like the family of murdered MP David Amess rejected the apology, labelling it insincere, despite having asked for an apology beforehand. Well what is the point of an apology if it isn’t accepted? What is the point of saying sorry if the word sorry doesn’t mean something? And actually this I think says more about the intent of these attacks on Kneecap rather than any actual harm being done.
The one thing nobody is talking about in this context though, is the sheer hypocrisy on show. While the band's comments were met with swift condemnation and they said sorry, similar or more egregious statements from other figures or media outlets are being conveniently overlooked here.
For instance, there was the 2016 Daily Mail headline that read "Labour must kill vampire Jezza," referring to Jeremy Corbyn. Additionally, there was the instance in 2019 where military personnel were using images of Corbyn for target practice on a gun range. Oh how the media and political pundits laughed.
How about the incident of the Tory donor Frank Hester saying Diane Abbott should be shot? There was fallout there, but its not being mentioned now.
The selective outrage suggests that the media's indignation is less about the content of the statements and more about who is making them and in what context.
Let’s stick with Corbyn somewhat though, because if Labour Starmerroids can somehow implicate him in this, of course they’re going to so cue some nonsense spearheaded apparently by Labour non-entity David Taylor:
What an absolute prat. He turned comments off on Twitter to that video knowing he’d get backlash for it and deservedly so, condemning Corbyn for being a photo with them from back in 2023 as part of the Peace and Justice Project, but no mention of the attacks on Corbyn in the media, or even the fact he himself had been the target of an assassination attempt.
Notably, Taylor, is a staunch supporter of Israel, has remained largely silent on pressing domestic issues like the UK's declining living standards, suggesting a selective prioritisation of concerns, one such example being his attack on a select committee report because he wanted all accusations of genocide being levied against Israel removed from it. Well it is genocide and if you got over your Corbyn Derangement Syndrome you might see it fella.
The UK's response to Kneecap's activism has extended beyond political and media condemnation. Counter-terrorism police have launched investigations into the band's activities, citing concerns over potential incitement of violence, alongside claims they support Hamas and Hezbollah, which the band have also denied, proscribed groups as they are. While security is paramount, the use of such measures against artists raises alarms about the suppression of dissent or protest and we’ve certainly seen other examples of that in recent months. The cancellation of Kneecap's performances in Germany and at the Eden Sessions in Cornwall further exemplifies how institutions may capitulate to political pressure, effectively silencing voices that challenge the status quo, an excerpt from the Irish Times on the cancellation of the Cornwall gig reading:
‘Kneecap’s performance at a concert series in Cornwall, England has been cancelled, while the British government has warned Glastonbury festival organisers to “think carefully” about allowing the Belfast rap trio to perform.
A spokesperson for the Eden Sessions, which are scheduled to be held the Cornwall botanical gardens in July, confirmed the band will not be performing and ticket purchasers will be refunded.
Dan Jarvis, a minister of state at the home office, told MPs that while it is for festival organisers to decide which bands played, they should consider that Kneecap, a republican group that performs in the Irish language, is now under police investigation for some of its members’ past comments.
“The [UK] government urges the organisers of Glastonbury to think very carefully about who would be invited to perform there later this year,” said Mr Jarvis.’
Emphasis on past comments, only being used now that they’ve hit headlines saying eff Israel, Free Palestine. They’ve apologised for poorly chosen words, but they owe nobody an apology for standing up for Palestine and against Israeli genocide.
It is impossible in my view to see this as anything but being part of a broader pattern of suppressing pro-Palestinian voices in the UK. The band's treatment mirrors that of other activists and organisations that have faced censorship, funding cuts, and legal challenges for their support of Palestinian rights. This pattern underscores a systemic issue where advocacy for marginalized groups ends up being met with institutional resistance, particularly when it challenges powerful entities like Israel.
The targeting of Kneecap by the UK government and media serves as a cautionary tale about how fragile our freedom of expression is and that not only did we have to fight to get it to begin with, but that we must keep on fighting to keep it too, especially in the face of such blatant political expediency as is being shown here. While the band's statements may be provocative and certainly in a couple cases ill chosen, the disproportionate response they have received suggests a deeper discomfort with their message more than their method. This is supposed to be a democratic society and in a democratic society, artists must be allowed to challenge, provoke, and inspire without fear of censorship or retaliation but we are not seeing that here. An apology should mean something when it is asked for and when it is owed and when it is given, not arbitrarily refuted for little more than political advantage and ongoing over the top condemnation. Suppressing dissenting voices under the pretext of maintaining order not only undermines the principles of free speech but also diverts attention from the very issues these voices seek to highlight, but of course that’s the point here isn’t it?
Meanwhile, another method of delivering a message to music is to do so on film and Louis Theroux has managed it in a way that is proving to be a lot harder to push back on given his chosen interview style of letting his subject matter talk itself into showing its true colours and my goodness did the illegal settlers of the West Bank do that for him and then some. The Settler’s is an absolute masterpiece, you need to watch it and you can find out why in this video recommendation here as your suggested next watch. Please do also hit like, share and subscribe if you haven’t done so already, so as to ensure you don’t miss out on all new content published daily, as well as supporting the channel at the same time which is very much appreciated, holding power to account for ordinary working class people and I will hopefully catch you on the next vid. Cheers folks.