In a recent longform interview of Irish hip hop group Kneecap, NPR political correspondent Juana Summers claimed she wanted to learn more about what drives them to make music, but she spent more time teeing them up to spread anti-Israel tropes and libels. Prioritizing a cool vibe over honesty, the interview was so intellectually lazy that NPR had to add an editor’s note – qualifying one of the unchallenged, anti-Israel libels made by the group which Summers seemed to agree with – when it edited the broadcasted interview into article form.
For those who don’t listen to Irish hip hop bands, who is Kneecap?
According to Summers, Kneecap is “probably best known for their pro-Palestinian activism and for being outspoken critics of Israel.” This is an odd way of describing a group that praised Hamas and Hezbollah and displayed “F— Israel, Free Palestine” at their performances. The group has also expressed support for the anti-Israel group Palestine Action, which has engaged in criminal vandalism against the British Royal Air Force base and companies that have a connection to Israel.
Frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (stage name: Mo Chara) also faced terror charges for waving a Hezbollah flag, were later thrown out due to a prosecutorial procedural error. In the interview, however, Summers said he denied the charge and the case was dismissed.
NPR asked the group what words they had for critics who suggested their music “amplified political violence.” Móglaí Bap, another Kneecap member, did not answer the question. Instead, he lamented that bands are criticized while weapons manufacturers supplying Israel are not. Summers did not repeat the question or follow up, leaving the group off the hook as to whether it had given any thought to their potential contribution towards political violence. Instead, she asked if they had any regrets for their “outspoken comments about Israel’s war in Gaza [and] the plight of the Palestinian people.” Mo Chara answered, “What would I regret?”
He described the Palestinian cause as close to the hearts of the Irish because they understand colonialism and relate to Middle East events. NPR let the statement hang, as if there hasn’t been an unbroken Jewish presence in Israel for thousands of years.
Then, Mo Chara said that witnessing “forced starvation” in Gaza really speaks to him, and that it sparked something in his Irish DNA because of the Irish famine that began 180 years ago. Summers simply responded “Yeah.” No effort was made to challenge the incendiary and dubious claim.
In the interview’s article format, NPR added an “Editor’s note” reflecting Israel’s defense against the accusation of starvation in Gaza, signaling that the interview failed to provide any balance or counterpoint in real time. Only readers of the article will even see the note – those who heard it on the broadcast or listen to it thereafter will not hear the postscript.
NPR did not address the innumerable lies about Israel and Jew-hatred which Kneecap spread on social media, where the group garners millions of views. Kneecap made outrageously false claims that Israel murdered every highly qualified doctor/surgeon in Gaza and every journalist in Gaza, and that soldiers laughed while blowing up cancer wards. The group posted an antisemitic graphic overlaying a swastika on a Star of David. It alleged Israel killed over 100,000 Gazan civilians – a figure far higher than even Hamas has claimed.
The group also downplayed the number of Israeli civilians who died on Oct. 7, 2023, and propagated the libel that Israel murdered Palestinians who waited in line for food. In numerous posts, Kneecap claimed Israel murders children daily, for fun. It has accused Israel of hatred, colonialism, apartheid, “pure evil” and of being a terrorist state since 1948.
NPR asked about none of that.
The network portrayed Kneecap as a social justice warrior group in this puff piece interview. NPR was wholly unprepared to explore the group’s history of hatred and propaganda, preferring to emphasize vibes over veracity. Sadly, NPR’s belated and quite limited “Editor’s note” cannot retroactively implant journalistic integrity where it was sorely lacking.