'Death to the IDF' Rappers Learn the Hard Way That Rubio Ain't Playing Around

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

If you had Bob Vylan tickets for later in the year, I have some bad news: It doesn't look like the punk-rap duo will be performing in the United States anytime soon. 

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If you don't even know who Bob Vylan is, well, you're about to find out. 

And, if you think I misspelled Bob Dylan, not quite. I'm actually talking about the British punk-rock duo who go by the names Bobbie Vylan and Bobby Vylan because they want "to protect their identities in what they describe as a surveillance state."  

According to the Standard, "Their songs contain scathing indictments of the British establishment, sexism, racism, homophobia, and inequality, blending punk, grime, and hardcore into a sound all their own." They also like to chant about killing Israeli Defense Forces soldiers and appear to support Hamas.  

(Side note: The actual Bob Dylan is Jewish, seemingly supports Israel on some level, and is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. These talentless hacks are an insult to his good name.)

Anyway, Bob Vylan just got a lesson in Marco Rubio's version of FAFO, and it's pretty glorious. But let me start from the beginning. 

Over the weekend, Bob Vylan performed at the Glastonbury music festival in England, and the BBC streamed the performance live. During the performance, the group led the crowd in chants like "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF." 

"Hell yeah, from the river to the sea. Palestine must be, will be, Inshallah, it will be free," one of the Bobbies shouted into the microphone. Here, you can catch the whole performance for yourself.  

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Word spread fast, and Leo Terrell, Chair of the Department of Justice's Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, announced on X on Sunday that these guys had several tour dates planned for later in the year in the United States, so he was going to reach out to the State Department and see what Rubio and company could do about that. 

That escalated quickly. Later in the day, the Daily Wire reported that the State Department was looking into it. And on Monday, Adam Kredo of the Free Beacon confirmed that he'd spoken to senior officials who told him that the performers' visas have officially been revoked. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also confirmed the news. 

As Ed Morrissey at Hot Air points out, British nationals do not need a visa to enter the U.S., but they do need one to work here. So, if the Bobbies decide to come here and perform for cash, they can be arrested, deported, and barred from re-entering the country. 

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For what it's worth, the BBC has also issued an apology for airing the performance and has removed it from on-demand playback. "The team were dealing with a live situation but with hindsight we should have pulled the stream during the performance. We regret this did not happen," the media outlet said in a statement. 

It added, "The BBC respects freedom of expression but stands firmly against incitement to violence. The antisemitic sentiments expressed by Bob Vylan were utterly unacceptable and have no place on our airwaves."  

Glastonbury organizers have also said they're "appalled" by the performance. 

Bob Vylan's response?  "I said what I said."  

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