The silent boycott of Jewish artists and performers continues

Jewish comedians Rachel Creeger and Philip Simon were booked to perform at the Whistlebinkies venue during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August, but both have had their shows cancelled.

Ms Creeger was scheduled to perform her Ultimate Jewish Mother show, while Mr Simon was to present Jew-O-Rama, in which several comedians would have been showcased.

Both have reported being informed that their shows were to be cancelled after it was announced that police would provide extra supervision to the venue as a safety precaution, apparently causing staff to feel “unsafe”. Mr Simon had a further series of gigs cancelled at another venue as well, purportedly due to a “significant conflict” with the venue’s “stance against the current Israeli Government’s policy and actions.”

The news of these cancellations at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival spotlights a pattern across the arts of discrimination and silent boycott of Jewish people.

For centuries, Jews suffered professional restrictions and economic exclusion.

It is astounding and unspeakably shameful that twenty-first-century Britain would revive this dark practice.

For all that we look back on history, tutting and shaking our heads about what happened then, now it’s happening again right before our eyes.

We are examining legal options, and we encourage other Jewish artists to contact us with their experiences at [email protected].

Certain venues at Edinburgh Fringe were not the only ones in the last few days to signal to Jews that they are not welcome.

The organisers of London Trans+ Pride announced that Zionists were not welcome at their demonstration that took place this weekend.

Not only that, but the organisers apparently view Zionism as being in the same category as racism and sexism.

Zionism is the right of Jews to self-determination in their ancestral homeland. Our representative polling shows that 80% of British Jews consider themselves to be Zionists; only 6% do not.

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination” is an example of antisemitism.

Once again, for all that ‘progressive’ spaces boast of inclusivity, that inclusivity doesn’t extend to Jews.

Not very progressive at all.

After we raised awareness of this post, London Trans+ Pride quietly removed it without an apology or explanation – almost as if they were hoping that people would forget and the whole thing would just blow over. How cowardly.

If you’re going to deny inclusive spaces to Jews, the least you could do is have the decency to admit your bigotry when called out.

Shameful.

To make matters worse, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, endorsed the event on social media.

He wrote that “London is a city that stands for equality, dignity and pride for everyone,” but it seems that the majority of Jews in this country were not welcome at this march.

It is no wonder that the vast majority – 85% – of British Jews are dissatisfied with the mayor’s performance in relation to the Jewish community since 7th October 2023, according to our polling.

As more and more Jews are shut out of public life in the UK, what will become of Britain?

Does Britain stand against antisemitism?

“Do you stand against antisemitism?”

Elie hit the streets of East London to ask this question.

Simple, right? Apparently not… Watch here to hear what the British public thinks.

If, like the more virtuous interviewees in the video, you intend to march with us on Sunday 7th September, please sign up now!

Moraliser-in-chief James O’Brien forced to apologise over modern blood libel on LBC

In an LBC show last week, James O’Brien read a message from a listener that made outrageous claims about British Jews. The host did not halt his reading or challenge the claims, and LBC posted the segment online.

After an outcry, LBC deleted the post, and the following day Mr O’Brien was forced to apologise.

This is a modern blood libel on national radio, amplified by a host who likely wouldn’t think twice about cutting off the caller were he promoting such grotesque falsehoods about another minority.

No such generosity for the Jews.

The suggestion that one ‘side’ of this conflict is the genocidal monsters of Hamas who slaughtered 1,200 people and took some 250 hostage, and the other ‘side’ is the Jewish community in Hertfordshire, is not only a baseless fiction and totally repugnant, but to broadcast it is unbelievably reckless.

It is practically an invitation to disaffected people to target Jews in the UK — why not, if they are a ‘side’ in this conflict?

It is deplorable the depths that some talkshow hosts will sink to inflame their listeners and drive up ratings.

The consequences are borne by British Jews.

The following day, Mr O’Brien deigned to apologise, saying: “At this time yesterday on the show, I read out a message from a listener called Chris who said that his wife had been brought up in the Jewish faith and had attended what he described as a ‘Shabbat school’.

“He went on to make further claims about what he said she had been taught in that school. As with all the texts and messages that I read out on the programme, I did so in good faith, but the message has understandably upset a lot of people, and I regret taking those unsubstantiated claims at face value, and I’m genuinely sorry for that.

“It is very important that I get that out there, and thank you for your attention.”

While Mr O’Brien’s apology through gritted teeth is welcome, perhaps he might take a break from moralising to the nation and reflect on why a listener like that understood that his was exactly the right show to promote his bile, and why Mr O’Brien himself was only too ready to treat the claims as entirely plausible and convenient to his narrative.

What does that say about his own prejudices and views on certain topics to which British Jews are particularly sensitive?

Miriam Margolyes must be stripped of her OBE

“Hitler won. He changed us. He made us like him.”

This must be the end of the road for Miriam Margolyes.

The fact that she was born Jewish does not give her a license to use her immense platform to spread anti-Jewish venom.

Saying that Hitler converted the Jews into Nazis is flat-out racist bilge and she must be shunned by the showbiz world that has fawned and bowed until now. That includes stripping her of her BAFTA.

We will be writing to the Honours Forfeiture Committee to ask that her OBE be removed.

CAA submits further complaint against barrister Franck Magennis

We have submitted a further complaint to the Bar Standards Board regarding barrister Franck Magennis.

Mr Magennis, who is one of the barristers connected to the application by Hamas to be de-proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK, is already the subject of an outstanding complaint by Campaign Against Antisemitism.

This new complaint cites further activity that we consider to be of an extremely serious nature.

Among the social media rhetoric in question is:

• “Zionism is collapsing. Keep hammering anyone who still identifies as a Zionist…Escalate!!”
• “Zionists out there: read the room. You’re pariahs now. Time to shut those racist mouths of yours.”
• Apparently addressing Lord Walney: “Paid up member of the ‘Israel’ lobby, a shill for the arms companies…Sit down, Zionist wretch. The Palestinian blood will never wash off your hands. You’re a pariah now.”
• “Get my name out of your mouth, fascist-Zionist scum.”
• Responding to a post regarding Palestine Action that read, “The organisation may be banned. The action isn’t. Escalate,” he responded: “Escalate!”
• Addressing the Chief Rabbi: “Sir Ephraim Mirvis shut your racist, Zionist mouth…You’re a pariah. Resign.”
• Regarding the then-imminent proscription of Palestine Action, he said: “So, the High Court does have the power to suspend the effect of the intent to ban. Don’t act as if it’s already happened. It hasn’t happened yet. Keep escalating. But if it does happen, in my opinion, what needs to happen is direct action groups, copycat direct action groups, need to spring up everywhere.”

We have told the Bar Standards Board that we consider this to be an extremely serious case of professional misconduct.

Mr Magennis must be suspended from practising, pending further investigation and disciplinary action.

CAA submits complaint to GMC regarding Dr Rehiana Ali

Dr Rehiana Ali has said that Hamas are “freedom fighters” who should not be on the list of banned terror groups, posted several claims about “Jewish privilege”, appeared to question how many Jews died in the Holocaust, said that she finds Holocaust-denier David Irving “interesting” and wished him a happy birthday and has spoken of “Jewish privilege”, “Jewish supremacy” and a supposed “Jew taboo” and has claimed that ISIS is actually Jewish and that Israel did 9/11.

She has also spoken positively of the assassinated leaders of Hamas and Hizballah and believes that Hamas and Palestine Action should not be proscribed terrorist organisations.

Clearly, these maniacal posts — which you can read in full here — from a registered, practising doctor bring the medical profession into disrepute.

Dr Ali declared that she does not treat Israelis. It is clear to us that any Jewish person would quite reasonably feel unsafe if put in her care. Even beyond the Jewish community, who wants to be treated by practitioners with such hateful conspiratorial obsessions? This is not what the public expects from the medical sector.

She was handed an interim suspension late last year, but that has now been lifted while the GMC is still investigating. We have now submitted a fresh complaint to the GMC regarding her conduct since being suspended.

The GMC is right to have opposed the lifting of her suspension, but it also has a duty to carry out these investigations in a more timely fashion, which it is failing to do.

Her rhetoric is quite clearly inflammatory, but this is also all too illustrative of what British Jews risk facing when they go for treatment.

The NHS is becoming an increasingly hostile environment for Jewish people, be they practitioners or patients. We will take whatever action we can to challenge this abominable trend.

Disappointing Foreign Affairs Committee report is a predictable missed opportunity

The Foreign Affairs Committee has released its report on “The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism had made a submission to the Committee during its inquiry.

The report is extremely disappointing.

Yet again, our politicians have decided to take the easy way out, recycling the same tired formulations based on the same outdated assumptions that brought about the 7th October atrocity and the wider war.

They did not adopt a single one of our recommendations.

The point of these inquiries is to listen. This report shows scant evidence of that.

Consequently, it will do nothing to advance peace abroad or calm extremism and hatred at home. What a missed opportunity.

Support Jewish students

Do you want to support Jewish students on campus and develop the skills and experience to become a powerful voice in the fight against antisemitism?

We are looking for a full-time paid School and Campus Educator for up to eight months, starting in September 2025.

You will be working alongside our Education Officer in our Central London office from Monday to Thursday.

For more information and to apply, please visit antisemitism.org/jobs.

The silent but growing boycott and exclusion of Jewish people and their events must be a wake-up call to us all.

For as long as any of us can remember, publicity for Jewish events has always had to be toned down, venues needed to be kept secret and even speakers and participants could not always be disclosed. That was bad enough.

The prospect of events not being able to take place at all and artists, performers, lecturers and professionals being prevented from pursuing their livelihoods and entertaining and educating us all is intolerable.

We must do more than take a stand. We must march. We hope that you will join us.

Image credit: Festival Fringe Society