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The British Museum in London postponed on Wednesday a scheduled lecture on the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah. A large share of ticket holders had registered with the explicit intent to disrupt it.
The talk was part of the UK’s inaugural Jewish Culture Month. Dr. Paul Collins, Keeper of the Department of the Middle East, was set to deliver it. After consulting security partners, the museum postponed it indefinitely, surrendering a celebration of Jewish heritage to a coordinated intimidation campaign.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews condemned what it called the work of “extremists” and pledged to reschedule.
“Jewish Culture Month has seen many of Britain’s great cultural institutions partner with us in celebration of British Jewish culture, community, and creativity,” the organization said. “We will not allow the actions of extremists to prevent the British public from enjoying these events.”
The UK-based Campaign Against Antisemitism named what the museum would not. “The Prime Minister recently talked about how Jewish people are being bullied out of the arts — now we’re seeing it at the country’s leading museum,” the charity said. “We are still waiting for some brave institution to stand up and say that the Jew-hating mob will not win in their space.”
King’s Counsel David Wolfson questioned whether publicly-funded institutions that capitulate to such pressure deserved their funding. Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore called it “dark times.” Fellow historian Simon Schama required only two words: “Pathetic cowardice.”
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