Cait Stoddard April 24th, 2025 - 2:52 PM
According to loudwire.com, the Irish rap group Kneecap have issued a response after Sharon Osbourne‘s recent lengthy missive calling for revocation of their work visas after the band used their Coachella platform to speak out against Israel.
Tensions between Israel and Palestine has spanned generations but once again broke out into war after the Hamas attack at the 2023 Nova Music Festival that led to hostages being taken. Israel has since countered with military actions and instigated a blockade on humanitarian aid, while demanding the release of the hostages.
Kneecap performed over both weekends at Coachella but during the first weekend it was reported that the projections were allegedly sharing pro-Palestinian sentiments on the group’s backdrop did not make the set and Kneecap’s performance was cut short on the Coachella livestream.
During the second Coachella weekend, the band made sure their message got out. On a large screen behind the group, they shared their belief that Israel allegedly was committing genocide against the Palestinian people and that it was being enabled by the U.S. government, before a final call to “Free Palestine” with another F-word message for Israel. While the performance was not streamed, the band did share their messaging on social media as well.
Weighing in on social media, Osbourne chastised Coachella officials for providing a platform for such messaging. “Coachella 2025 will be remembered as a festival that compromised its moral and spiritual integrity. Goldenvoice, the festival organizer, facilitated this by allowing artists to use the Coachella stage as a platform for political expression,” she shared in voicing her disappointment.
She also called out Kneecap for their “projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech” and shared that she felt “this band openly supports terrorist organizations.” Osbourne’s post was applauded and shared on social media by Disturbed frontman David Draiman, who has been one of the biggest advocates for Israel in the rock and metal world by frequently using his social media platform to speak on issues concerning the war since the Nova Music Festival attack.
And now, Mo Chara of the group Kneecap has shared his thoughts on the matter. As Deadline reports, the band was initially approached for comment by BBC News Northern Ireland and responded with: “Statements aren’t aggressive, murdering 20,000 children is though.” The band’s manager also reportedly stated on Irish radio that the group had received a mixture of praise and death threats over their Coachella actions, sharing that the latter was “too severe to get into.”
Chara went further in depth about Osbourne’s comments in speaking with Rolling Stone. He noted: “Her rant has so many holes in it that it hardly warrants a reply but she should listen to ‘War Pigs’ that was written by Black Sabbath (her husband.)”
Chara also dismissed the idea that Goldenvoice was unaware of their political intentions, noting that they have spoken openly about Palestine “at every single gig since the band’s formation, long before October 2023 as the oppression and brutal occupation of Palestine has been ongoing for 77 years.”
He added: “We believe we have an obligation to use our platform when we can to raise the issue of Palestine, and it was important for us to speak out at Coachella as the USA is the main funder and supplier of weapons to Israel as they commit genocide in Gaza. As I said from the stage, ‘the U.S. government could stop the genocide tomorrow.’ It’s important that young Americans hear and know it.”
