Welsh singer says she received police protection over threats following pro-Palestinian event

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Welsh singer Charlotte Church revealed that she and her family have faced threats and needed police protection after her attendance at a pro-Palestinian event last month.

The 38-year-old singer-songwriter, known for her activism, has strongly denied accusations of antisemitism stemming from her participation.

The incident unfolded after Church attended a Sing For Palestine event in Bedwas, Caerphilly county, in late February. The purpose of the event was to raise funds for a new ambulance for Gaza's Al Awda Hospital.

During the event, Church led a rendition of "From the river to the sea."

In response to the backlash, Church has vehemently defended her actions, asserting that she has always held deep respect for Judaism and Jewish culture. She clarified that her participation in the event was solely to support the rights of Palestinians.

However, the fallout from the event has taken a distressing turn for Church and her family. She disclosed that they have been targeted by "some pretty scary people," prompting the involvement of law enforcement agencies to ensure their safety.

"I have been called many things in my time, but not until this week have I received so much imaginative and violent hate — I've never before been called 'traitor'."

"The threats to me and my family's safety by some pretty scary people have resulted in the police coming round to check in on us."

Underlining that the phrase "from the river to the sea" is in no way "a call for the ethnic cleansing or genocide of Israelis," she said she has always used it and heard it from others as a call for Palestinian liberation.

"Often it is accompanied by the phrase 'We are all Palestinians'," she added.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.

More than 31,272 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 73,024 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.