Mia Khalifa threatens boycott of Glastonbury if pro-Palestine Irish rappers Kneecap are dropped

Mia Khalifa has called for a boycott of the UK's Glastonbury music festival if the Irish band Kneecap is removed from line-up following backlash over their vocal support for Palestine.

In a post on social media site X the former adult star said: "Let's hold on booking Glastonbury until we see whether they're keeping kneecap on the lineup or not. If they don't I'm boycotting."

Kneecap, which performs in the Irish language, are reportedly one of the bands due to appear at Glastobury in June.

Khalifa's comments come as MPs urge the festival to drop the Irish trio after a series of controversial videos resurfaced after the group declared "F*** Israel / Free Palestine" at the Coachella music festival in the US.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said that Glastonbury - the UK's most famous music event - should "think very carefully about who is invited to perform this year," while Conservative MP Mark Francois saying they "should be barred today".

Hurricane and Southside festivals in Germany and the Eden Project in Cornwall have also dropped the band from their line-ups.

The controversy in the UK comes after a number of videos involving the band, including one gig in November 2023 when a bandmember appears to say: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP."

In another video, one of the members appears to shout "up Hamas, up Hezbollah". Both videos have prompted an investigation by the Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism unit.

The group has said that they do not support either group, and that they "reject any suggestion that we would seek to incite violence against any MP or individual".

"An extract of footage, deliberately taken out of all context, is now being exploited and weaponized, as if it were a call to action," the band said.

They also apologised to the families of murdered MPs Joe Cox and David Amess, saying: "To the Amess and Cox families, we send our heartfelt apologies, we never intended to cause you hurt."

Khalifa, a vocal supporter of Palestine, was recenetly pictured with the band at The Glass House music venue in California.

Massive Attack also came out in defence of the band, saying: "Kneecap are not the story. Gaza is the story. Genocide is the story."

"Solidarity with all artists with the moral courage to speak out against Israeli war crimes, and the ongoing persecution and slaughter of the Palestinian People."

A letter signed by 40 musicians - including Annie Mac, Bicep, Fontaines D.C., and Primal Scream - called for solidarity with Kneecap in defence of their right to free expression.

"It is in the key interests of every artist that all creative expression be protected in a society that values culture, and that this interference campaign is condemned and ridiculed," the petition read.

"It is also the duty of key leadership figures in the music industry to actively defend artistic freedom of expression – rather than seek to silence views which oppose their own."