Taylor Lorenz mocked by Piers Morgan panel after she defends band's 'Death to the IDF' chant
While performing at the Glastonbury Festival on Saturday, singer Bobby Vylan of the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan led the crowd in a "Death, death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]," chant against Israel's military.
The band's actions drew swift backlash. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned their rhetoric as "hate speech" and their visas were revoked by the U.S. State Department. The band was also reportedly dropped by the United Talent Agency.
Lorenz claimed on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" that the band was not calling for violence against Israeli soldiers but was protesting the actions of Israel's national military in the war in Gaza.
"The Israeli army is committing genocide, so I completely understand why people are upset about anyone sort of calling for death, but it's important that the reason they're calling for death for this sort of amorphous military entity is because that military entity is currently slaughtering babies and committing genocide in Gaza," she began.
Lorenz argued that the crowd chanting "Death to the IDF" at the concert had a right to be angry about the "genocide." She called for people upset by the band's rhetoric to "advocate for the end of the genocide."
"They weren't talking about an entity," Morgan pushed back. "They were talking about the soldiers. They wanted death to the IDF soldiers."
Other panelists on the show also picked apart Lorenz's argument.
"If you are advocating against genocide, and you don't want people to be killed, how can you turn around and say at the same breath that you think chanting for death should be contextualized somehow?" Tel Aviv Institute senior fellow Hen Mazzig told Lorenz.
"Well, yeah, because again, if an army is committing genocide and slaughtering babies and creating the highest rate of child amputees in the world, and if that is what they have done for months and years now, and then the public is rightfully outraged about that," she retorted.
"Calling for their death, that's the issue —" Mazzig began as Lorenz interjected.
"Calling for the death of a military entity that is currently committing genocide," she insisted.
"Of soldiers!" Mazzig disagreed. "It's a compulsory army."
Morgan jumped in to scold Lorenz for doubling down on the argument.
"Taylor, you can't keep saying that. You don't even believe that when you're saying it. If they said death to the British army, no one's taking that as meaning the institution. They're taking it as meaning British soldiers," he explained.
Lorenz compared the situation to people chanting "death to America."
"When people say 'death to America,' they mean death to American imperialism that has subjugated them," she claimed.
"No, they don't. They mean death to Americans!" Morgan replied.
"Oh, come on!" Mazzig sighed.
"That's a very generous position," co-panelist and British columnist Esther Krakue laughed.
"Ask the Supreme Leader of Iran what they mean, they'll tell you exactly!" Mazzig also mocked Lorenz.
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