An Irish music festival banned current and former members of the Israeli military from attending its 2026 event last weekend.

Organizers of the Rewild Festival, held July 11-12 in County Kerry, instituted the policy after activists launched an online campaign upon discovering a former Israeli soldier had purchased a ticket.

“Today, festival organisers became aware that a former member of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) was hoping to attend the festival as a paying guest,” the festival said on its official Instagram account.

“Rewild stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and is committed to fostering a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for our community,” the statement continued. “In line with these values, current or former members of the IOF are not welcome at Rewild and will not be permitted to participate in the festival & that was made clear—he will NOT be in attendance.”

The decision sparked immediate backlash. Ireland’s Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder condemned the policy, stating the ban reflects a broader trend of excluding Israelis and Jews from Irish public spaces. The Ireland Israel Alliance called the decision “absolutely insane, ignorant and racist discrimination from the ‘Rewild’ festival … targeting a whole nation of people, i.e. Israelis.”

The Campaign Against Antisemitism called the move “xenophobia masquerading as progressivism,” noting that because military service is mandatory for most Jewish citizens in Israel, the policy effectively amounts to nationality-based discrimination.

Israel requires most Jewish, Druze and Circassian citizens over age 18 to serve in the Israel Defense Forces.