The Rewild Festival, an Irish music festival, prevented an IDF veteran from attending, festival organizers confirmed on Saturday.
Organizers of the festival, which was held between July 10-12, said they "became aware that a former member of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) was hoping to attend the festival as a paying guest."
IOF is a term often used by anti-Zionist and left-wing activists aiming to delegitimize the IDF.
"Rewild stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and is committed to fostering a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for our community," the statement published on the festival's social media read.
"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, and that was made clear. He [the IDF veteran] will NOT be in attendance," the statement concluded.
Israel activists condemn festival's decision
Several activists and organizations denounced the Rewild Festival's decision to prevent the IDF veteran from attending.
This included Alan Shatter, who served as the Irish defense and justice minister from 2011 to 2014, and was a member of the Irish parliament from 1981-2002 and from 2007-2016.
"A 'safe, welcoming & inclusive space' should be enjoyed by all attending a festival. That was denied to the 1,200 slaughtered... by Hamas on Oct 7 at the Nova Music festival & those raped, sexually assaulted, the mutilated dead, the injured & abducted," he wrote on X/Twitter.
Shatter also named 22-year-old Irish-Israeli dual citizen Kim Damti, who was murdered at the festival, as among those slaughtered.
"Rewild promoting hate," he stated.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) also denounced the festival for having "so-called inclusive spaces [that] are only inclusive for some."
"According to its website, Rewild claims to be 'a space where everyone can come together,' but apparently that excludes any Israeli who performed their obligatory national service," CAA added.
"Conscription is compulsory in Israel, so this ban seems to simply be xenophobia masquerading as progressivism," CAA said.
Israeli-Arab activist Yoseph Haddad also denounced the festival for "decorating its statement with Palestinian flags and noting that they stand in solidarity with Palestinians."
"How symbolic it is that a music festival is standing with the Palestinians against Israel, when less than three years ago, a music festival in Israel was massacred by the same Palestinians!" he wrote, referring to Nova.