By Jane Haynes
A controversial two-metre wide artwork proclaiming ‘Death, death to the IDF’ appeared in the heart of Balsall Heath this morning in an echo of the chants led by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury. The grafitti attacking the actions of Israel’s army, known as the Israeli Defence Force, in the Gaza crisis sprang up overnight, on the black wall of an abandoned building close to Joseph Chamberlain College. It featured an image of Bob Vylan’s lead singer alongside the slogan that landed the musician in the mire after he led the Glastonbury crowd in several chants at the weekend. The chant has been widely condemned by the government, the BBC and Jewish communities for inciting hate. A police probe is currently under way. READ MORE: Why every motorist in Birmingham must watch heartbreaking City of Cars film Within hours of appearing, the unsigned artwork was gone, painted over in grey. Now BirminghamLive has spoken to the artist, speaking on condition of anonymity, and a Jewish community leader, also speaking anonymously, about the toxic phrase and why it has inflamed passions locally. The artist said they created the artwork last night to show support for the Bob Vylan duo’s right to self-expression and free speech and to spotlight the deathly toll in Gaza, amid claims Israeli forces were killing indiscriminately. They vowed to put the slogan up again elsewhere in the city. They said of their work being up for just a short time before it was quickly removed: “I am frustrated but this is typical of what we are seeing and hearing in every conversation around what is happening in Gaza. “People are scared of crossing a line and afraid to express their passionate opposition to an institution that is killing people indiscriminately – and when we do, our expression is whitewashed.” READ MORE: Birmingham doctor’s horror testimony from inside Gaza where children are ‘shot in head’ They said of their decision to echo the Bob Vylan mantra: “When I saw Bob Vylan speak up at Glastonbury, I and many others who are pro-Palestine were saying ‘finally, someone is speaking up in a way that is making people sit up and listen’. “People are so scared to speak out for fear of being labelled anti-Semitic that they say nothing, or they pull their punches to avoid causing upset. What is happening in Gaza is too terrible and too many innocent people are dying to be polite any longer.” They said they believed that Bob Vylan have been targeted unfairly and needed support – but they were not prepared to reveal their own identity for fear of ‘being made an example of’ locally. “That chant richoched across the world. Street art saying those same haunting words triggers conversation about what exactly we should expect or allow from a state force acting under orders that involves killing children. “There has been a powerful response to how the Gaza crisis has unfolded in Birmingham , where most people are appalled about what is happening in Gaza and the actions of Israel’s soldiers.” But in reaction a Jewish community leader in the city said the slogan was nothing more than an incitement to hate and a call to kill young Israelis. “Every Israeli is conscripted into the IDF for national service, with rare exceptions. It likely means every Jewish person in England has relatives or friends who have served in the IDF at some point or are serving. To call for those young people to die is a horrific thing to do. “By all means attack the government of Israel, criticise Netanyahu (Israeli PM), as many Israelis themselves do, over what is happening. But calling for the deaths of soldiers is an incitement and a blatant attack on our communities. “It is already too scary to describe oneself as Jewish in parts of Birmingham. To have this slogan painted near a college attended by young students from all backgrounds is clearly an act of anti-Semitism.” She said the community locally was currently grieving a 20-year-old British Israeli serving in the IDF who died at the weekend when a bomb exploded. The Israeli embassy has strongly condemned what it called ‘inflammatory and hateful rhetoric’ expressed by Bob Vylan, saying it slogans like it “advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel”. Bob Vylan, largely unknown to mainstream music fans until this week, led multiple chants during their set on the festival’s West Holts Stage, aired live on the BBC. They also chanted “free, free Palestine” and “from the river to the sea, Palestine must be free.” After their Glastonbury set, United States Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on X: “The @StateDept has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.” Their appearances at festivals and shows in Manchester, France and Germany have also been cancelled. A Number 10 spokesman said at the time: “We strongly condemn the threatening comments made by Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.” The BBC has come under attack for allowing the Bob Vylan set to go out live to millions of viewers, and for not pulling the livestream as the chants started up. It has since announced a full review of its live streaming procedures and will no longer broadcast live any ‘high risk’ performers. In a statement since, Bob Vylan said of their actions: “We are not for the death of Jews, Arabs or any other race or group of people. We are for the dismantling of a violent military machine, a machine whose own soldiers were told to use ‘unnecessary lethal forces’ against innocent civilians waiting for aid. A machine that has destroyed much of Gaza.” They added: “We are not the first. We will not be the last and if you care for the sanctity of human life and freedom of speech, we urge you to speak up too. Free Palestine.” The band, who hail from Ipswich, have previously produced political polemics about food poverty, sexism, exploitative landlords and institutional racism, while their position on Palestine’s future has been integral to their set for years. On Monday, Israel killed at least 30 people at a busy Gaza cafe. On Tuesday 111 died in air strikes, including 24 at food distribution hubs. and last week Israel killed 30 more at food distribution centres dispensing flour, later claiming ‘inaccurate’ artillery fire was to blame. At least 61,000 Palestinians have died and thousands more have been injured or displaced, with entire towns and cities flattened, since the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on 7 October, in which an estimated 1,139 Israelis were killed and hundreds more injured or kidnapped.