Irish Rewild Festival Bans Current and Former Israeli Soldiers Amid Pro-Palestinian Pressure

The Irish music, arts, and wellness festival Rewild, held annually in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland, announced it will ban current and former Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers from attending. This decision followed an online protest campaign against the planned participation of an Israeli who served in the IDF. Pro-Palestinian activists urged artists and vendors to withdraw from the festival unless all Israeli soldiers, referred to by the organizers as members of the "Israeli Occupation Forces" (IOF), were barred. Several artists reportedly withdrew in response.

The festival organizers stated on social media that they learned a former IOF member intended to attend as a guest. They expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people and committed to creating a safe, inclusive space, declaring that current or former IOF members are unwelcome and will not be allowed to participate. Internal WhatsApp messages from the organizers revealed initial support for the Israeli guest’s attendance, with one organizer inviting him and another telling a complainant they were free not to attend if uncomfortable. However, public pressure led to a reversal and adoption of the exclusion policy.

Jewish community groups sharply criticized the decision, highlighting that military service is compulsory for most Jewish Israelis, meaning the policy could exclude many Israelis. The Campaign Against Antisemitism called the festival’s stance xenophobic, disguised as progressivism, and contradictory to its purported inclusivity. Ireland’s Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder condemned the use of the term "IOF," saying it reflects the organizers’ worldview. He emphasized Israel’s mandatory military service is a response to jihadist terror threats and expressed concern about a broader trend in Ireland where Jewish belonging is increasingly conditional on distancing from Israel.

Rabbi Wieder cited recent efforts to rename Dublin’s Herzl Park, protests at Jewish community memorial events, and verbal and physical attacks on Hebrew speakers as signs of rising tensions. This incident adds to a series of controversies in Ireland linked to the Israel-Gaza conflict and growing anti-Israel sentiment affecting the Jewish community there.