UK police have launched an investigation after anti-Israel slogans were chanted by performers and audience members at the Glastonbury music festival over the weekend.

On Friday, a member of the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan shouted, “Death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]” and other pro-Palestinian slogans during a live performance which was broadcast by the BBC.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has condemned the ‘appalling hate speech’ and has called on the broadcaster to explain why a livestream of the controversial festival chant was not cut.

The Israeli Embassy also condemned the ‘deeply disturbing’ incident and said it “advocates for the dismantling of the State of Israel”.

RT reports: Videos shared on social media show the crowd – some waving Palestinian flags – echoing the chants.

Avon and Somerset Police said in a post on X that officers are reviewing video footage “to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”

The Israeli Embassy in London said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage,” describing it as “advocacy of ethnic cleansing.”

“Chants such as ‘Death to the IDF’ and ‘From the river to the sea’ are slogans that advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel and implicitly call for the elimination of Jewish self-determination,” the embassy wrote on Saturday.

The statement also warned that public applause for these chants “raises serious concerns about the normalization of extremist language and the glorification of violence.”

A UK government spokesperson said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had spoken with BBC Director General Tim Davie and demanded an “urgent explanation.” The BBC has condemned the remarks made during Bob Vylan’s set as “deeply offensive,” and stated that the segment would not remain available on BBC iPlayer.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations and a rise in anti-Semitic incidents have been reported in many countries since the start of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, where more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed since 2023. The conflict was triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack that left around 1,200 Israelis dead, with over 200 taken hostage.