Belfast Jewish leader warns of rising antisemitism following Kneecap chants
Deputy community chair says support for band is “frightening” after pro-Hamas remarks and synagogue attack
A Jewish leader in Belfast has warned of rising antisemitism after a wave of support for Irish rap group Kneecap, despite footage showing a band member shouting “Up Hamas” and “Up Hezbollah” on stage.
Michael Black, deputy chair of the Belfast Jewish Community, said the comments were “abhorrent” and branded the group’s apology “pathetic”.
It follows a separate incident in which a brick was thrown through a window of Belfast’s synagogue, and act for which a teenage girl was cautioned. While the motive is unconfirmed, Black said it reflected an increasingly hostile climate for Jews in Northern Ireland. “Hatred is out there and it scares me,” he said.
Kneecap, who are due to perform at Glastonbury and Belfast Vital this summer, have denied supporting Hamas or Hezbollah, claiming the footage was “taken out of all contexts” and accusing critics of “weaponising false accusations of antisemitism”.
In a separate video now being reviewed by counter-terrorism police, a band member is heard saying: The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.”
“To publicly say ‘Up Hamas’ and support an organisation that openly wants to kill Jews is abhorrent,” Black said. “Hamas wants to kill as many Jews as possible, we said that on 7 October. To see the evidence of what happened and still support them is frightening.”
He also criticised the group’s “F**** Israel” projection at Coachella as “vulgar”, adding: “There’s an obsession with Israel. Many of those killed on October 7 were peaceniks, they did a lot of work to actively build peace. But Hamas came and slaughtered them.”
Jewish News has contacted the Police Service of Northern Ireland for comment.
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