Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said Bob Vylan’s comments were “revolting”.
“If I think about the war in Ukraine, no doubt I want Ukraine to win but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be cheering on the deaths of Russians, I don’t think anyone wins from that,” Streeting said.
He said the “irony of that music festival is that Israelis were taken from a music festival, killed raped and in some cases are still being held captive”.
“Whether you are Israeli or Palestinian, whether you are Christian, Jewish or Muslim, all life is precious and we’re not going to solve one of the most intractable conflicts on earth with those sorts of stunts,” he said.
Streeting was also asked whether he agreed with the Israeli Embassy, who said the comments raise “concerns about the glorification of violence”.
He said “that is a challenge”, before adding that the embassy should also get its “own house in order”, referencing reports this week of Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank after dozens of Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian village.
Appearing on Sky News’ Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, Streeting added that both the BBC and Glastonbury had “questions to answer” regarding “how we saw such a spectacle on our screens”.
