Coachella hit the headlines globally last week as Irish hip-hop trio, Kneecap, emblazoned their uncouth political message onstage. “F*** Israel, Free Palestine” was perhaps the most notable of their many incendiary messages. Americans were offended, visas were revoked, and politicians got involved. The saga begs many questions. Why was Kneecap censored? Should Irish politicians be getting involved? How will this play out for US-Irish relations amid ever-growing tensions between Dublin and DC?
Censoring Kneecap
The free speech issue around Kneecap is complex. The bulk of Kneecap’s activism has centered on using the Irish language as a protest against continued British ‘occupation’ of Northern Ireland. Throughout their 8-year career, the use of language – a particular tongue – has been their key weapon. Just like the Gaelic Revivalists before them, they are employing language and art to promote the cause of Irish independence. Granted, songs like “Love Making”, “Sick In The Head”, and “Get Your Brits Out” are a little less highbrow than “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”.
Drawing the line
Free speech absolutists would support Kneecap’s right to express any views they may have without limitation in the interests of art and free expression. A more moderate view would draw the line somewhere between that and all-out censorship. General consensus has that line at incitement to violence. “F*** Israel” may not fit into that category. Their recently-uncovered chant of “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah”, on the other hand, would. Both organizations have the express intent of eradicating the world of the Jewish people. Support for these terrorist groups, therefore, is explicit incitement to violence. While “F*** Israel” may have caused the controversy, it is the other statements which justify the backlash Kneecap has received.
In keeping with the Trump Administration’s application of pre-existing immigration law, any visa holders who conduct themselves in a manner that would have precluded them from receiving a visa, will lose their visa. Yet it is precisely the visa revocation that pushes the Kneecap controversy into ‘diplomatic incident’ territory.
International Tensions
Irish politicians have understandably commented on the Kneecap saga, yet the topic at hand – the Middle East conflict – makes their involvement more nuanced. Ireland is simultaneously the most pro-Palestine country in Europe and the EU’s weak link in its US diplomatic relationship. Aside from Ireland’s trade relationship with the US causing strain on the EU amid the tariff debacle, Irish politicians have not comported themselves well on either Trump or Israel. A decade of slurs and insults from Dublin aimed at Trump are further aggravated by the ongoing diplomatic war against Israel. Notably, Israel closed its embassy to Ireland last December. The Trump Administration snubbed Ireland by giving priority to Conor McGregor in the White House on St. Patrick’s Day this year.
Martin’s weak response to Kneecap
By weighing in – especially in a ‘feigned ignorance’ way as Micheál Martin did over the weekend – the Irish establishment is actually making matters worse. The stunt Kneecap pulled at Coachella mainstreamed Ireland’s pro-Palestine stance on the global stage. Kneecap, a balaclava-clad, terrorist-sympathizing group is perhaps not the ideal vehicle for this message. A politically astute establishment would have been firm in distinguishing between supporting Palestinian civilians and supporting terrorist organizations. Failure to do so raises more questions about the establishment’s true loyalties. This will only serve to increase the pressure on Ireland from the US – as well as the rest of the EU where this nuance is more credibly expressed. The Irish establishment should join with the US in condemning Kneecap to bolster its stated position on the conflict.
Dealing with Trump
Ireland now finds itself ever more in the crosshairs of the Trump Administration. It is a mistake to take Martin’s moderate performance in the White House as permission from the US to continue playing both sides of the diplomatic relationship. With the onset of a Second Cold War, Ireland is running out of time to maintain favor with the US. The more points of difference Ireland has with the US, the less it can rely on its diaspora to wield soft power.
Ireland could effectively represent its stance on the Middle East in Washington if it were among the few issues it challenged the Administration on. It is not, however. Ireland is at odds with Trump’s team on a wide variety of issues. Personal dislike is evident from all leading Irish politicians since Leo Varadkar’s retirement last year. Ireland’s stranglehold on tech firms and pharmaceutical companies irks Trump. Its membership of the EU generally is seen as oppositional to the US, especially since its decision to escalate the Liberation Day tariff earlier this month.
Ireland and Europe’s pro-Zelensky, anti-Trump stance on Ukraine caused problems in peace talks in March. The Government’s chief stated goal in the US currently is to represent the plight of Irish illegal immigrants.
Taking advantage of Kneecap
A shrewd Irish establishment would employ a Jiu Jitsu strategy. Identify where Trump is putting most of his energy and use that energy to Ireland’s advantage. For example, Ireland’s illegal immigrants generally don’t commit heinous crimes. Rather than confronting DC on its dim view on overstayed visas, it could work with the Administration to make legal immigration from Ireland easier. Three revoked visas for Kneecap could translate to far more granted visas for Irish citizens. This would further strengthen ties between Ireland and the most powerful economy in the world. It would further add to its enormous diaspora – a soft power machine – in the process.
The ultimate lesson from the saga is the same as ever. Ireland struggles to be effective on the global stage. Ireland, albeit small, has the capacity to be one of the most powerful countries in the world. Its leverage in Europe has had a major influence on a variety of issues, like the adoption of the TEU and TFEU or achieving a Brexit deal with the UK. It has captured major revenue-generating sectors with its tax policies. It has built up the largest diaspora in the world, mostly focused in the US and China. Yet since the end of the Troubles in the 1990s, it has been unable or unwilling to wield this leverage internationally.
All Ireland needs is some smart people to get into a room and think through its foreign policy more than one or two moves ahead. A truly strategic approach to Irish diplomacy will only benefit Ireland internationally. And better still, its politicians won’t have to engage in frivolous stories about loudmouthed troublemakers like Kneecap.
