The Northern Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap have said they intend to take legal action over ‘false accusations of antisemitism’ following a controversial performance at Coachella last weekend.

The politically-charged rappers suffered a backlash after concluding their second set at the US music festival with a sequence of three on-screen messages accusing Israel of genocide and war crimes in Gaza. 

The first read: ‘Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.’ 

The second message added: ‘It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes’, before the final one concluded: ‘F*** Israel. Free Palestine’. 

TV presenter Sharon Osbourne later accused Kneecap of ‘openly support[ing] terrorist organisations’ and called for their US visas to be revoked. Daniel Lambert, the band’s manager, claimed the trio received ‘severe’ death threats. 

But Kneecap, who are no strangers to controversy, have used social media to hit out against what they see as a ‘co-ordinated smear campaign’.

‘The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods,’ wrote the band. 

‘For over a year, we have used our shows to call out the British and Irish governments’ complicity in war crimes. 

DJ Provai, who comes from Derry and performs in a balaclava, is seen performing for the Northern Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap on the opening weekend of the Coachella festival

During a second set at Coachella, Kneecap stirred outrage by projecting the slogans: ‘Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people’ and ‘F*** Israel, Free Palestine’

Video of a Kneecap gig at the Kentish Town Forum in London last November is under investigation by counter-terrorism police amid claims of antisemitism

‘The recent attacks against us, largely emanating from the US, are based on deliberate distortions and falsehoods. 

‘We are taking action against several of these malicious efforts.’

The band added that ‘massive numbers of Jewish people’ were ‘outraged by this genocide just as we are’ and said they would ‘not stay silent’. 

The band, which consists of Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara from Belfast and DJ Próvaí, who comes from Derry and performs in a balaclava, has established an avid fanbase in the US.

Among those to express support for the post were the US rapper Macklemore, who declared: ‘That it’, and the American-Irish comedian Des Bishop, who said: ‘They are all suddenly against free speech over here [in the US].’  

But Osbourne, the America’s Got Talent and X Factor judge, who is married to Black Sabbath star Ozzy Osbourne, branded the images at Coachella ‘projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech’.

‘As someone of both Irish Catholic on my mother’s side and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage on her father’s side and extensive experience in the music industry, I understand the complexities involved,’ she wrote on social media.

‘I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap’s work visa.’

The controversy comes after the Metropolitan Police indicated this week that counter-terrorism officers are investigating footage of a London performance by Kneecap at which a Hezbollah flag was allegedly displayed.

Video posted online by Danny Morris of the Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism and provides security for Jewish communities in Britain, appeared to depict one member of the group shouting: ‘Up Hamas, up Hezbollah’ during a show at the Kentish Town Forum. 

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the UK and it is a crime to express support for them.

‘We have been made aware of the video and it has been referred to the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit for assessment and to determine whether any further police investigation may be required,’ said a Metropolitan Police spokesperson.

In February, Rich Peppiatt, the director and co-writer of Kneecap, an Irish-language film about the band’s rise, won a Bafta award for outstanding debut by a British writer, director or produce. The film was nominated in six categories.

Asked to comment on Kneecap’s visa status, a US State Department spokesman said: ‘Due to privacy and other considerations, and visa confidentiality, we generally will not comment on department actions with respect to specific cases.’

Osbourne’s representative has been contacted for comment.