IRISH group Kneecap have said the response to their Coachella shows — where they criticised Israel and expressed their support for Palestine — is part of a ‘coordinated smear campaign’.
The hip-hop trio from Belfast played on consecutive weekends at the California festival, with messages displayed during the sets addressing the situation in the Middle East.
However, the band have released a statement saying their critics’ only intention is to ‘silence criticism of a mass slaughter’.
Displays
Kneecap performed at Coachella on April 11 and 18, when three messages were reportedly displayed on screens during the shows.
One read: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” with a second adding: “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.”
A third read: “F*** Israel. Free Palestine.”
The band say their display from the first weekend was censored from Coachella’s live stream, while there was no streaming from the stage they performed on during the second weekend.
Among those to criticise the display was Sharon Osbourne, wife of Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, who said the band displayed ‘anti-Israel messages and hate speech’.
She also said the band ‘openly support terrorist organizations’.
“As someone with both Irish Catholic on my Mothers [sic] side and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on my Fathers [sic] side, and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved,” she added on Instagram
“I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneeecap’s [sic] work visa.”
‘Deliberate distortions and falsehoods’
However, the band have responded to the recent backlash, branding it a ‘malicious’ attempt to silence criticism of both Israel and its supporters.
“Since our statements at Coachella — exposing the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people — we have faced a coordinated smear campaign,” read the statement.
“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.
‘Our audience is growing’
“Let us be absolutely clear. The reason Kneecap is being targeted is simple — we are telling the truth, and our audience is growing.
“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.”
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began following a Hamas attack on a music festival in October 2023, in which around 1,200 Israelis were killed.