CHARLOTTE Church said it is “misguided” to draw an inference of anti-Semitism from a pro-Palestinian chant she sang at a Gwent rally.
The Welsh singer, 38, said she had experienced a “really uncomfortable day” as she faced a backlash for leading a choir in a rendition of From The River To The Sea at the Sing For Palestine fundraising event at Bedwas Workmen’s Hall in Bedwas on Saturday.
The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism described it as a “genocidal chant” that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel, amid the on-going conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas since October 7.
“To be honest, I hate the idea that anyone thinks that I am at all anti-Semitic or trying to make things more divisive, but I stand by everything we sang,” Ms Church said on Novara Live.
“It was a deeply spiritual experience for me and I would do it again 100 times – and plan too.”
On Monday, the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism accused Ms Church of encouraging hatred and called for the Charity Commission to investigate the incident.
Ms Church said: “It is a really powerful chant that every single activist that I have met, every march that I have been on, in every context that I have ever heard it sang, it always has been for the human rights and for the equal liberty of Palestinian people, as well as Israeli people, on the lands of Palestine and Israel, and that is what I have always taken it and understood it to mean and that’s what I think it does mean.
“And for anyone who is taking from that genocidal intent towards Israel, or about there not being a state of Israel, I think is misguided – that is not what the chant means."
It comes after Ms Church denied allegations of anti-Semitism during an Instagram live video on Monday, describing herself as “fighting for the liberation of all people”.
A spokesperson for Campaign Against Anti-Semitism said: “The genocidal chant From The River To The Sea refers to the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, and only makes sense as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state — and its replacement with a Palestinian state. It is a call for the annihilation of half the world’s Jews, who live in Israel."
They added: “At best, Charlotte Church has been tone deaf but, at worst she is using the voice for which she is so well known to fan the flames of hatred.
“You cannot stoop lower than using your stardom to teach kids to sing extremist lyrics in a village hall.
“We will be writing to the Charity Commission to ask them to investigate how this was allowed to take place on a charity’s premises.”
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