This is my latest article on CT. You can get the original here….
Twenty-one years ago, a clip from the Da Ali G show caused a storm when it showed ‘Borat’ (Sacha Baron Cohen) performing a song titled ‘In My Country There Is Problem’ at a country-western bar in Tucson, Arizona. The chorus includes the line ‘Throw the Jew down the well, so my country can be free’, with other lyrics accusing Jews of being money grabbers and having sharp teeth. The clip shows some of the patrons in the bar, clapping, singing along and making signs of devils’ horns on their heads. Cohen is a Jew and the piece was intended as satire. Today it would be seen as reality.
I was reminded of this when I watched with incredulity as the mainly white middle class English home counties set who can afford to attend Glastonbury chanted and sang along with the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan, “death, death to the IDF.” This was not satire. This was not Iran – “death to the great Satan and death to the little Satan”. This was not Borat in an Arizona country club. This was not a Nuremberg rally. This was the UK in the 21st Century.
For those who are unaware (probably most of the Glastonbury mob), most Israelis have to serve in the IDF in order to protect their country – a country which was set up after the horrors of the Holocaust to provide a safe haven for the Jews in their traditional land. A country which is surrounded by hundreds of millions of people who are determined to wipe it, and them, out.
When the Glastonbury mob were calling for death to the IDF, they were in effect calling for the death of Israeli Jews. The rise of anti-semitism in the UK (and other Western countries) within living memory of the Holocaust is a profoundly disturbing sign.
The Blood Libel
Another aspect of this is the return of the infamous anti-Jewish blood libel – the notion that the Jews are baby killers who go around deliberately seeking to kill ‘Gentile’ infants. In passing I note the inconsistency of those who claim to be concerned about the death of innocent babies in Gaza, while also describing the killing of millions of babies in the womb as a human right.
The excuse is trotted out: ‘This has nothing to do with being anti-Jewish, it’s just about caring for people who are being killed.’ Since April 2023, some 150,000 people have been killed, 11 million have been displaced and another 26 million are facing starvation. But that’s not in Gaza – it’s in Sudan. Why are there no protests, encampments or rappers singing at Glastonbury about Sudan? Because it doesn’t involve Israel and the Jews.
The chilling callousness and hypocrisy of the middle-class mob is made even more evident when you realise that they are flying the flags of an organisation that massacred 378 festival-goers at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. Forty hostages were taken at that festival – a few of whom are still considered to be alive. Yet here were mainly white, liberal, progressive festival-goers celebrating their killers and kidnappers. I have written before of the culture of death smothering Britain. This is yet another manifestation of that.
The philosopher Hannah Arendt in her 1963 book on Eichmann spoke of the banality of evil – the idea that evil doesn’t have to come clothed in horns and march with jackboots, but can stem from ordinary people who follow orders, habits, or group/mob actions without ever thinking about the moral implications. The fact that it is not ‘rednecks’ in a bar in Arizona who are chanting death wishes for Jews, but nice, ‘educated’, middle class festival-goers in England demonstrates just how evil can get a grip – in the most banal way, among the most banal people.
Arendt was not saying that banality makes the evil any less dangerous – rather that it makes it more so. The chilling thing about Glastonbury was that this was a mob of ‘nice’ people who were dancing and chanting and waving flags – not raising Heil Hitler salutes. But their ignorance, prejudice and bigotry is just as dangerous, if not more so. The one leads to the other.
The Illogicality of Evil
As well as banality, it is the illogicality of evil that struck me. Glastonbury demonstrates that in other ways as well. People chanted and applauded in the same way as people like Jeremy Corbyn spoke of no walls and borders. They sloganised – ‘build bridges, not walls’ – blissfully unself-aware that they had all paid at least $400 to get behind the massive, expensive security wall that was built around Glastonbury – to keep the plebs out. They were on the inside, separated from the rest by a wall which they had paid for, demanding ‘no more walls’!
Yet another disturbing aspect of this is that the mob are easily aroused online. I watched on my X feed as Rod Stewart was mocked, abused and demonised just because of an interview he gave in The Times where he asked for people to give Nigel Farage a chance. Although his actual performance at Glastonbury seems to have been well received, the day before, Kneecap, the Irish rap band who are in trouble for apparently supporting Hezbollah and allegedly telling people “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP”, mocked Stewart by calling him “older than Israel” and “Rod the Prod” – thus bringing sectarian religious bigotry into their poisonous mix.
Some have argued that this is just the exercise of free speech – although in a civilised society all free speech has limits, incitement to murder being one obvious one. But that doesn’t matter to the politicians, commentators, journalists and celebrities who seek to justify this hatred. And again, note how all these ‘nice’ people were cheering a band whose very name celebrates the shooting of young teenagers in the knees as a form of punishment.
Britain is in a very dark place when at a major music festival thousands chant for the death of Israeli Jews, and this is broadcast across the world by the BBC – and then on social media.
What is the solution? It is possible to accept that some of the IDF have done horrible things in Gaza, and also to disagree with the Israeli government’s policy without desiring their death. To polarise and hate is not the Christian way. There is a better way. My mind turns immediately to Paul’s beautiful words to the Ephesian church: “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14).
Glastonbury builds walls and fuels hatred. The only way to destroy that is through the proclamation of the Good News of Christ. He alone can deal with the hatred of the mob, the irrationality of the ‘progressive’ mind, the weakness of the politicians, and the perversity of the human heart.
The Quiet Judgement on the UK – CT
Quantum 257 – Glastonbury, Ethical Porn, Morocco and Taylor Swift
As Blackadder once said, “I’m glad to hear the church speaking up on social issues!” He applauded the Bishop of Bath and Wells as mockery of the church at that time. We are in a time when your wonderful words of chastisement are set apart and not generally known or broadcast when they should be. Thank you for tackling the really difficult things and attempting to honour God with your powerful words.
Death to the IDF is pointed at the Israeli army – a pretty disgusting army. They are trained to inflict death upon civilians, so they should expect death in return.
Jews don’t get a free pass.
If people called for the death of Hamas you’d have no comment
All Israeli Jews have to serve in the IDF. So yes you are calling for the death of Israeli Jews. And you are wrong re calling for the death to Hamas. I would condemn that as well. But of course no protester would ever make that chant. I wonder why?
If they want to live there, then they want to fight for their stolen country.
Doesn’t change that if you serve in the armed forces and act as a tool of oppression, then you may expect that there are those who would wish death upon you. Has nothing to do with them being Jewish and the whole world is tired of them using that smokescreen for their actions.
Haaretz https://www.haaretz.com › Israel News 5 days ago — IDF Officers and Soldiers Told Haaretz They Were Ordered to Fire at Unarmed Crowds Near Food Distribution Sites in Gaza, Even When No Threat
Yes – it has everything to do with them being Jewish…..can you explain why people are not protesting the injustices and violence in Yemen, Syria, Nigeria, Sudan, Myanmar, China, North Korea, Ukraine etc….because it doesn’t involve Israel…and the Jews
Since most people pay taxes – if someone says death to taxes – are the calling for death to all people who pay taxes?
Not quite the brilliant point you think you are making. Given that the posh kid called for death to every IDF soldier we can safely assume he really did mean death to humans and not death to some impersonal force. But then you knew that….you were just deflecting…
I think you have got this all wrong Reverend. I think what has tipped people into this behaviour is the complete demolition of Gaza and its population, the behaviour of the settlers – who are themselves attempting to kill the IDF (eg -https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israeli-settlers-attack-palestinians-and-idf-military-vehicles-in-west-bank) and the behaviour of the IDF itself who have been ordered to kill innocent civilians trying to get food for themselves – https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-06-27/ty-article-magazine/.premium/idf-soldiers-ordered-to-shoot-deliberately-at-unarmed-gazans-waiting-for-humanitarian-aid/00000197-ad8e-de01-a39f-ffbe33780000.
At no point in either of the performances did the artistes mention killing Jewish people – which does not equate with statements made by leading Jewish politicians and settler leaders against the indigenous population of the region.
As you know my late husband was a Scottish Jew who wanted to emigrate to Israel on its establishment. However after going over to prepare the ground for us to move – he was sickened by the Nakba and returned to Scotland.
He always prayed for a Middle East where everyone could live together in peace.
Politicians on both sides need to respect this wish – I know most of the ordinary people of the region wish this but currently politicians on neither side are. The situation is not helped by the media not being able to report freely on the situation – aided by said politicians
The result – ordinary people feel impotent to influence politicians – which results in events such as happened at Glastonbury.
The Chief Rabbi disagrees with you! “This is a time of national shame. The airing of vile Jew-hatred at Glastonbury and the BBC’s belated and mishandled response, brings confidence in our national broadcaster’s ability to treat antisemitism seriously to a new low.
It should trouble all decent people that now, one need only couch their outright incitement to violence and hatred as edgy political commentary, for ordinary people to not only fail to see it for what it is, but also to cheer it, chant it and celebrate it.
Toxic Jew-hatred is a threat to our entire society.”
Who cares two rags what a Zionist Jewish Rabbi thinks.?
Who cares what the ADL think?
They’ve caused enough problems in the world for people to have a right to criticise them, without stupid distractions and whatsaboutisms.
Yes, Sudan is a terrible place – has been my entire life. Why can’t they get their country together? This is whataboutism and has no place in rational argument.
Yemen and Syria however are destabilised directly because of Israeli and CIA meddling and, again, people are waking up to the negative influence Israel has had upon the world.
Doesn’t the scripture you Zionists use go something like : “I will bless those bless you”?
Zionist so-called Christians have been parroting that for decades and they are without doubt false prophets, because the countries whose governments have supported this debacle would beg to differ.
Pointing out that people who say they are only talking about Gaza because they care about human beings, but then say nothing about Sudan etc is not whataboutism. It’s pointing out an inconsistency. If it did not involve the Jews there would not be the same fuss….
The notion that Yemen and Syria were stable, just, democracies until the CIA and Israel meddled in them is at the extreme level of the fantasy anti-semitic conspiracy theories….It’s always the Jews wot done it!
Apologies I forgot to add that these societal stresses are also involved in the “kill your MP” sentiments. As you so clearly pointed out in the past few weeks – the UK legislators have begun the process of legalised state killings at both ends of the age range scale. Today in Parliament MPs are debating legislation that they have admitted will send large numbers of disabled people into poverty. This combined with the large numbers of hidden deaths caused by the welfare reforms introduced by Mr Ian Duncan Smith make a clear case why people feel as they do about politicians.
There is an all round lack of respect for life and community which is contributing to this ever growing desperate situation – which none of the churches seem to be able to tackle.
You are right that we need some divine intervention.
There have been protests re Sudan – https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2024/11/11/sudan-protests-uk/- but as with most protest in the UK the media, for whatever reasons, does not publicise them.
Don’t blame the media. The point is that there have been very few.
What the papers don’t say -https://bylinetimes.com/2024/04/11/the-war-we-dont-discuss-protests-and-vigils-planned-in-solidarity-with-sudan-amid-call-for-media-attention/
An additional point – not all Israeli citizens serve in the IDF. Most of the settlers ironically get an exemption due to “religious” reasons, as do a lot of others with Orthodox views
Is it over 3,000 miles from Glastonbury in the UK to Jerusalem or Israel-Gaza ? Would that be a mile for each life lost as a result of the Northern Ireland-‘Troubles’-with perhaps around 90% being as a result of terrorist activity? Why does only one Kneecap member wear a mask or balaclava? The group might consider doing a pilgrimage (on their kneecaps) to Jerusalem: a mile in memory of each life lost…
I would add the plight of the Yazidis to the list of massacres we choose to ignore in the west. I visited them in 2015 with the charity Open Doors, yet they are almost unknown outwith the Middle East. https://www.nadiasinitiative.org/the-genocide
No Israel was not regathered to her ancestoral home as a consequence of the holocaust. She was regathered as a consequence of a Sovereign God fulfilling His own Word and His prophetic plan. And He is doing this in spite of much Christian false teaching and doctrine regarding Israel. Yes Israel and the Jewish people are uniquely hated and obsessed over, despite being a tiny nation and a tiny people. Why is this? Could it be that they bear the brunt of the world’s rebellion and hatred of God? The Jew reminds people there is a God and He keeps Covenant and so it stirs up in them their hatred of the God of Israel. Could it be that real time international events are fulfilling the Bible and we are heading to the point where all nations come against Israel and Jerusalem? Then what does it say? Then He will go to fight those nations and His feet will stand on the mount of olives and He will reign over the world from Jerusalem. Jesus left from the mount of olives and He will return to the mount of olives! Truly tragic that modern antisemitism came from the church and also tragic that so many Christians believe God is finished with Israel, with the church being the new Israel. They fail to heed Paul’s warnings against boasting against the natural branches and are at real risk of themselves being cut off. Dear Christian, you cannot love the King of the Jews and hate His people? Dear Christian, you cannot hate Israel and love the God of Israel. These final days and the judgement are going to expose the church like never before. All the phariseees and their false doctrines and their replacement theologies are going to fall.
Perhaps I could comment on this? As you may be aware my late husband was a Scots Jew and deeply religious – versed in both the Jewish and Presbyterian traditions. He used to think along your lines Mr Walker and went to prepare a new life for us in Israel. However he returned sickened by the Nakba and always maintained to his dying day that what was happening in Israel was an abomination against the Word of God and a misinterpretation of Scripture. He asked me to ensure that future generations of churchgoers were aware of this and that is why I write today.
Your husband sounds like a man of conviction. The next generation will not remember this doctrine – it can’t survive the questions and the tide is already turning, which is why the Israeli government has stepped on the pedal and why Trump is so necessary to their time-line. They want to establish themselves to the point they no longer need our Zionist western governments as support.
This may very well be correct, but have you thought about the consequences if this viewpoint turns out to be incorrect?
Perhaps this – made with the assistance of Israelis and IDF members with consciences – may help to explain the situation – https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jul/03/gaza-doctors-under-attack-review-channel-4-crucial-film-stuff-of-nightmares, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/bbc-gaza-documentary-channel-4-doctors-impartiality-b2781273.html
No – it doesn’t help to explain the situation. It is a one sided account of one aspect of this horrific war. If you want to really understand the situation….then I would suggest you also look at Nova or the documentary (largely consisting of Hamas footage of their slaughter of Jews) which Greta refused to look at.
Its not a war. A war requires two standing armies, not mowing down civilians.
Israel has been armed to the teeth by the US. It has no fear dropping 2000 pound bombs relentlessly on civilian infrastructure and attacking its neighbours because it believes it s allies will always bail it out.
You think Hamas, Hezbollan, the Houtis and Iran are not armies….all of them dedicated to the destruction of Israel and Jews…
It is not often I disagree with you David and I much appreciated your article in Christian Today on the moral state of the nation, but on this issue I do disagree.
Israel should not be given a free pass on genocide. To fire on civilians who are starving is an abomination. The Old Testament is full of retribution and death. Christ came to give us new life in loving God and our neighbour.
Netanyahu is warmonger who has a Greater Israel dream he wishes to fulfil and this involves getting rid of those who resist.
What about all the Christians affected by this – the toppling of Syria. A country with many different religions, co-existing and now ruled by a known Al Qeada terrorist. So many Christians and others fleeing. Lebanon is next on their agenda. Saddam Hussein was never found to have weapons of mass destruction, and so
many Christians died in that conflict.
Israel is not given a free pass on genocide. It is not genocide – but any war crimes committed should be dealt with. It is a gross error , and defamatory of CHrist, to suggest that the Old Testament is something he would not have approved of! I agree with you about the Christians – so many of them abused by Hamas and the Islamists. Why are you defending them?
The Old Testament is tribal. “You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul and your mind”. Jesus came to give his life that we may be saved from ourselves and have compassion on others. He added “and love your neighbour as yourself”. There is very little compassion in the Old Testament. The parable of the Good Samaritan – how shocking it was a hated Samaritan who showed compassion, not the Orthodox Jew!
The hate which is being meted out on the Palestinians (even though it may be warranted) is not acceptable to the Christian.
It is not true that there is very little compassion in the Old Testament – in fact the Old Testament clearly teaches that God is compassionate – “And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.'” (Exodus 34:6-7 NIV). See also Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8, and Joel 2:13.
Meanwhile in the New Testament it is Jesus who says “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” in Matthew 25:41.
Whilst any war is horrific and the war in GAza especially so (due to the use of civilians as shields and propaganda weapons), and whilst there are those who are motivated by hate…I’m not sure that it is right to describe all that is happening as being motivated by hate.
Glenda. The wickedness of Israel does not cancel out the promises and word of God just as the wickedness in the church doesn’t either! You will never better the prophets in their condemnation of Israel and her rebellion against her God. But those same prophets prophesied her restoration and ultimate salvation. As Romans says, not all Israel is truly Israel just as not all the church is truly the church! Those predestined are, those chosen before the creation of the world, chosen by Grace just as Christians also are chosen and kept by grace. According to your logic then the church also is cast off and can no longer count on the promises of God? I can assure you the church is just as guilty if not more guilty than Israel! We should know and behave better as we have the Holy Spirit and yet we have committed the same rebellions as Israel. No; Israel and her restoration stand as a Testament to the mercy and faithfulness of God just as the church does. If you believe in replacement theology you should go and be a Muslim. They teach that Israel blew in then the church blew it so now Islam is the replacement. If you believe God can cast of Israel, what faith do you have that He won’t also cast you off?
The IDF exists as the name implies to act as a defensive force to counter the ceaseless and existential threats to the safety of the inhabitants of Israel since 1948. The IDF, as noted by British Colonel (ret) Richard Kemp, have done “more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.” They operate within a strict ethical code: ww.standwithus.com/factsheets-idf-ethics
But as scripture reminds us the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4). We are surely approaching the time of Christ’s return when all the forces of darkness will be destroyed (2 Thessalonians 2:8, Psalm 94:14).
If the IDF are the ethical organisation you claim – why are so many of its members started to call out the tactics it uses as being illegal? As I have noted above my late husband had a totally different lived experience opinion in which he argued that the current situation in the Middle East was unbiblical and he wished the scales to drop off the eyes of people who did not see this.
The said Mr Kemp is not an unbiased observer and his behaviour does not appear to me to be very biblically inspired and therefore does not merit the biblical claims you make – https://bylinetimes.com/2025/06/20/bbc-israel-charity-commission/