Glastonbury 'death to IDF' chant was run-by BBC boss Tim Davies as it happened, say sources

The Telegraph has reported that the BBC's top boss is now caught up in the row over the anti-Israel rap performance at this weekend's Glastonbury festival.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie, who was on-site visiting staff on Saturday, was swiftly informed when Bob Vylan blasted the stage with chants of "death, death to the IDF."

Acting quickly, he ruled out the band's set being available on-demand; nevertheless, it lingered on iPlayer's rewind feature for an extra five hours.

Despite not ordering the immediate pulling of the live feed, a BBC spokesperson conceded that the broadcaster now laments not doing so.

One BBC insider said: "Tim was there for a few hours to see the team. He was made aware during the time he was there of what had been said on stage. He intervened to make sure the performance was not made available on demand and he was very clear about that.", reports the Express.

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Regarding the live transmission concerns, the source added, "Pulling the livestream brings certain technological challenges. With hindsight, we would have taken it down. He would have asked what the options were, but it isn't as straightforward as hitting a button and taking it down."

Following the outcry, the BBC was approached for comment.

Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy voiced serious concerns regarding Mr. Davie's stewardship in the light of the controversy.

Addressing Commons, she remarked: "When you have one editorial failure, it's something that must be gripped. When you have several, it becomes a problem of leadership."

MP Peter Prinsley sharply questioned: "The murder of hundreds of Jews at the Nova music festival in October 2023 sparked this war. The irony of broadcast anti-Semitism at Glastonbury here in the UK is not lost on any of us.

"So how are Jews, such as myself, in this country to be reassured about the editorial processes of the BBC? And who on Earth will be held accountable for this error?".

Ms Nandy insisted that accountability is "an extremely important point" and acknowledged that she has "something that I've impressed upon the BBC leadership."

The gravity of the situation

This controversy is the latest in a series of anti-Semitic criticisms levelled at the BBC. Previously, the corporation had to say sorry for producing a Gaza documentary with a concealed bias; the narrator was outed as the son of a Hamas leader, and the channel's coverage on Israel and Gaza has also drawn flak.

In the unfolding saga, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel demanded Tim Davie's resignation if no staff are fired over the blunder, as she aired her concerns on The Telegraph's Daily T podcast. She stressed the need for an urgent probe into the BBC's delayed response to the offensive material.

At the stormy Glastonbury performance, Bob Vylan stirred the crowd into chanting "Free! Free!" which was then met with shouts of "Palestine!" from the attendees, only for the rapper to further provoke by adding: "death, death to the IDF."

Additionally, lead vocalist Pascal Robinson-Foster, widely known as Bobby Vylan, engaged in a heated rant about his dealings with a Jewish music industry executive.

After a controversial set during Glastonbury was accessible through BBC iPlayer's live stream hours post-performance, the BBC has issued an apology, branding the remarks "utterly unacceptable" and not fit for their airwaves.

"We welcome Glastonbury's condemnation of the performance," stated the broadcaster.

Apologising for the incident, the BBC slammed the comments as having "have no place on our airwaves", while expressing support for Glastonbury's denunciation of the act.

In discussion with the Daily T, Ms Haskel expressed her dismay: "Who's responsible for that? This is literally someone calling for violence, for ethnic cleansing, for the destruction and the annihilation of the only Jewish state in the world."

Highlighting the need for accountability, she demanded, "So if there's no one that will take responsibility, if no one will be fired over such an outrageous thing, then I think that Tim Davie should take responsibility because there has to be accountability for that."

When probed about BBC Director-General Tim Davie's future, she said, "If there's no one responsible for that, and if no one's going to be fired over such an outrageous thing, Tim Davie should take responsibility and resign."

Further, Ms Haskel called for an extensive review of the BBC's approach to reporting on the Middle East, insisting: "There should be an inquiry regarding the BBC coverage."

She continued to criticise the BBC's coverage and its handling of anti-Semitism in Britain, saying, "It was fully biased. Many mistakes were made. Not just in the coverage since Oct 7, but their coverage in the Middle East in general and also about how they address anti-Semitism in the UK. How is it possible that something like that has been normalised in the UK? I just don't get it."