A play in Paris. Book launch in London. Anniversary dinner for a non-profit organization in Virginia.
These are among a series of cultural events featuring Palestinian artists and activists that have been canceled in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack and Israel’s retaliatory bombing of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, influential cultural figures have faced reprimands and dismissals for taking pro-Palestinian positions in public.
In some cases, venues and organizers have cited safety concerns and sensitivity to the emotions of those affected by terrorist attacks. Elsewhere, Israeli supporters have led successful campaigns to cancel events associated with Palestinian and Islamic organizations. Several events, such as the postponement of the award ceremony for renowned Palestinian writer Adania Shibli, led to an open letter with hundreds of signatories. Meanwhile, small local events have been canceled with little notice.
PEN America, a nonprofit group promoting freedom of expression, condemned the cancellation, noting that some Jewish events have also been canceled due to security threats. The group said in a statement: “The voices of writers and others should not be silenced or silenced.” Palestine Legal is a law firm that provides legal assistance to Palestinian rights defenders. Said Jewish stream Describing a surge in requests for assistance, a senior lawyer warned of a “McCarthy backlash” against free speech.
Here’s a continuing timeline of event cancellations and high-profile layoffs in the U.S. and abroad.of forward We will update this list according to future developments.
October 10th:
pal music ukA British organization supporting young Palestinian musicians has postponed its 10th anniversary concert scheduled for London’s Southwark Cathedral.in statement The organization said on its website that staff at the cathedral “cancelled the concert for the following reasons.”I’m concerned about the safety of the audience. ”
October 11th:
Choisy-le-Roi on the outskirts of Paris, cancel performance of and here i am, a play developed by Freedom Theater, a theater company based in Jenin refugee camp. At the time, the group was on tour in France. issued a statement He criticized the decision of the town’s mayor, Tonono Panetta, and accused him of “silencing the voices of the Palestinian people.” In his statement, he said performances in other cities such as Bordeaux and Lyon would go ahead as scheduled.
October 12th:
london police cancel Nathan Thrall Book Talk A day in the life of Abed Salama, a book about a Palestinian family living on the outskirts of Jerusalem, cites “security concerns” as the reason. Thrall, who began an international book tour just before the October 7 massacre, said: many events have been canceledincluding work with the Los Angeles literary nonprofit Writer’s Block and the Manhattan synagogue B’nai Jeshurun.
The Boston Palestine Film Festival was scheduled to begin a 10-day run, but canceled all live events and instead held virtual screenings.On the festival website, organizers say Said They were working on “.The safety of our viewers is our top priority and we are committed to paying close attention to all affected community members. ”
October 13th:
German literary organization Litprom postponed the ceremony Palestinian author Adania Shibli will be honored at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the largest international gathering of publishing professionals.An open letter criticizing the decision received hundreds of signatures, including those from Nobel Prize winners. Olga Tokarczuk and Annie Ernaux. At the same time, the book fair released a statement pledging to “give special prominence to Jewish and Israeli voices.”
October 16th:
A movie theater in Rochester, New York, has decided not to hold its annual Palestine Film Festival after the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester asked for a postponement. Meredith Dragon, CEO of the federation, said: told Spectrum News The film festival claimed to have exhibited “anti-Israel propaganda.” Members of the festival’s organizer, Rochester Witness for Palestine, responded by calling the organization “absolutely ashamed” for canceling the Palestinian cultural event. Screenings and talks were held online at the festival.
October 17th:
A community center in Wales has canceled a fundraising concert for Medical Aid for Palestinians, a British charity that provides medical care in the occupied territories. The event was scheduled to include a performance by the Klezmonauts, a local klezmer band.concert organizer told the BBC The community center said it feared being seen as “sympathetic to terrorist attacks”.
The Houston Hilton declined to host a scheduled conference for the U.S. Campaign for Palestine Rights, which featured a keynote address by Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. The decision came after a campaign by the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, a New York-based business association. The hotel said the decision was due to “increasing security concerns in the current environment.” USCPR Executive Director Ahmad Abuznaid said Hilton violated the organization’s First Amendment rights and engaged in “ethnic, racial, and religious discrimination.”
The Frick Pittsburgh Museum of Art has quietly postponed an exhibit of Islamic art that was originally scheduled to open in November. The museum’s director, Elizabeth Barker, said the collection of glassware, pottery and other artifacts from across the Middle East “will be traumatic” for visitors. Speaking to her publication TribLIVE, Barker could not say whether any of the exhibits originated in what is now Israel and the occupied territories. A local CAIR representative said the museum was confusing Islam with terrorism.
October 19th:
Council on American-Islamic Relations announced The party was scheduled to be held at a hotel in Virginia, but the venue was changed after receiving bomb threats and death threats. The group said in a statement that an anonymous caller made the “k” threat.“Certain hotel employees at home” “Hotel attack as a repeat of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.” Another CAIR banquet in Maryland was also canceled, and both events were held together at an undisclosed location.
October 20th:
92NY, one of Manhattan’s leading cultural centers I stopped talking by author Viet Thanh Nguyen, a longtime supporter of the BDS movement, recently signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire and condemning the killing of civilians by both Israel and Hamas. Hours before the talk was scheduled to begin, 92NY announced it would no longer host Nguyen, and the organization’s poetry center director moved the event to a Manhattan bookstore.At least his two Poetry Center staff members then resigned And as some writers declined to appear in the future, 92Y Putting the entire literary reading series on hold.
art news report Palestinian artist Emily Jacir has been removed from the list of speakers for a workshop sponsored by Berlin’s Hamburger Bahnhof.
October 22nd:
Maha Dakhil, an influential Hollywood agent, be stripped of a leadership role At her company Creative Artists Agency. The decision reportedly came after Dakhil described Israel’s bombing of Gaza as a “genocide” in an Instagram story. She later apologized, but tell variety She said she had “used hurtful words” and said she supported “humanity and peace.” Nevertheless, CAA reported that Ms. Dakhil has resigned from her role as co-head of the agency’s board of directors and film division.
October 23rd:
Editor-in-chief of a scientific magazine e-lifeMichael Eisen announced He was subsequently removed from that position. retweet satirical newspaper article onion The heading is “Dying Gaza resident criticized for not using last words to condemn Hamas. ”
We would like to inform you that we have decided to change the editor-in-chief. @eLife for retweet @onion A work that appeals to the indifference towards the lives of Palestinian civilians.
— Michael Eisen (@mbeisen) October 23, 2023
October 25th:
El Museo del Barrio, the Latin American Museum in New York, has refused to display an altar commissioned for its Day of the Dead program after the artists added a Palestinian flag.museum Said new york times Artists Odalys Bourgois and Roy ByzanThey transformed the altar from a religious and cultural symbol into a political statement. ” Bourgois and Byzan Said They wanted to “honor revolutionaries who are making a difference in their communities,” and museum curators understood the political implications when they commissioned the altar.
October 26th:
Publisher of art form Art magazine has fired editor-in-chief David Belasco after publishing an open letter supporting the liberation of Palestine and denouncing “institutional silence” over Israel’s retaliatory bombing of Gaza. The letter condemns “violence against all civilians” but did not initially mention the victims of Hamas’ October 7 attack. An addendum added after publication expressed “disgust at the horrific massacre of 1,400 people in Israel.” Belasco, who worked at art forum He said he has signed the letter along with thousands of others since 2005. new york times What he had wasI have no regrets.” art forum This is because they succumbed to “external pressure.”
Wexner Center, an art museum affiliated with Ohio State University. cancel November roundtable discussion featuring Palestinian artist Jumana Mana. on the event webpagesaid they would like to avoid museums. “Conversations about Territories at War” The Wexner Center is currently hosting a solo exhibition of Manna’s work. Artist living in Berlin talked about publicly On facing censorship for her anti-Zionist views.
October 28th:
university of vermont cancel Administrators wrote that they were unable to “adequately provide safety and security” for the event, which was scheduled to include a lecture by Palestinian poet and activist Mohamed Elkurd. The local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America letter campaign The university asked that the lecture be resumed, but organizers said Erkuld would speak online instead.