Charlotte Church under fire for leading choir in rendition of ‘From the River to the Sea’

Charlotte Church sings at a Sing for Palestine charity event

Charlotte Church has come under fire for leading a choir in a rendition of “From the River to the Sea” during a pro-Palestine charity concert.

The Welsh star was filmed leading a chorus, which also included some children, of the anti-Semitic protest chant at a Sing for Palestine event in Caerphilly, south Wales, on Saturday.

The footage has sparked criticism among members of the Jewish community who accused her of using her “stardom to teach kids to sing extremist lyrics in a village hall”.

The advocacy group Campaign Against Anti-Semitism has called for the Charity Commission to investigate the event, which was being held to raise money for the Middle East Children’s Alliance charity.

Church, 38, who was draped in a keffiyeh scarf in solidarity with those in Palestine, was also seen singing “Stop the Occupation” as she attended the event at the Bedwas Workmen’s Hall.

She told the crowd of around 150 attendees: “A lot of us are feeling a lot of emotion. This is a safe space to just breathe and sing and get it all out,” before leading the choir in a seven-minute rendition of the controversial “From the River to the Sea”.

Charlotte Church (left) smiles with an activist at the singing event

Andrew Percy, a Tory backbencher and member of the Jewish community, told the Sun newspaper the sing-along was “deeply concerning”, adding that “those who joined in should hang their heads in shame”.

A spokesman 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.

“Since Oct 7, when Hamas committed their barbaric terrorist acts, we have heard this chant on the streets of Britain during anti-Israel marches, accompanied by all manner of anti-Jewish racism.

“Singing ‘From the River to the Sea’ is not standing up for human rights. 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.”

It comes after the words “From the River to the Sea” were projected onto Parliament last Wednesday, with police accused of standing by while pro-Palestinian protesters beamed the slogan onto the Elizabeth Tower, which houses Big Ben.

Church’s representatives were contacted for comment.

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