Irish rap group Kneecap under fire for criticizing Israel at Coachella

Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap is facing a wave of support as well as some high-profile condemnation following its performance at Coachella on the weekend, when its members expressed support for Palestine, denouncing Israeli attacks on Gaza, which have killed more than 50,000 people.

"The Irish, not so long ago, were prosecuted at the hands of the Brits," one of the trio told the crowd between songs. "But we were never bombed from the f----g skies with nowhere to go....  If you're not calling it a genocide, what the f--k are you calling it?" His comments were followed by cheers from the crowd and chants of "Free, free, Palestine."

According to Billboard, Kneecap's first performance at Coachella during the festival's opening weekend was also meant to feature a projection reading: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the U.S. government, who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F–k Israel; free Palestine.” However, the messages did not appear, leading the Belfast trio to accuse Coachella — which attracts around 125,000 people a day — of censorship.

Sharon Osbourne, TV personality and wife of Ozzy, is urging U.S. authorities to revoke work visas for Kneecap, ahead of their October tour in the States, which is almost entirely sold out, The Guardian reports. Fox News commentators condemned the group from Northern Ireland and accused it of bringing “Nazi Germany” sentiments to America.

Kneecap pushed back at the Fox News comments and posted supportive messages from fans, saying it had received thousands of such endorsements as well as “hundreds of violent Zionist threats.” 

Kneecap, with two albums released to date, is known for its strong political stances. Its two lead vocalists rap in both Gaelic and English on themes such as the reunification of Ireland, opposing British rule and police brutality.

The trio is also being investigated by the U.K.'s Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit for comments made during an earlier performance. Following the attention gained by its Coachella performance, a video was unearthed from November 2024, during which one apparent Kneecap member shouts, “Free Palestine, Tiocfaidh ár lá [Our day will come], up Hamas, up Hezbollah,” while draped in a flag similar to that flown by the Palestinian al-Qassam Brigades.