The rise of antisemitism in the arts | thearticle

On December 5 th Rob Rinder will be chairing a discussion about whether Jews are still welcome in the arts in Britain today. There are two striking things about this event. First, that it is

taking place at all. As we shall see, it is happening because it is unfortunately very timely and relevant. Second, that the advertisement doesn’t give a location. It just says, “North West

London venue.” Presumably, if you sign up you will be e-mailed a location. This may sound a little paranoid but it is unfortunately very realistic.  Recently, there was a very unpleasant

anti-Israel demonstration outside JW3, Britain’s largest Jewish cultural centre. Police officers were there to prevent violence, but unfortunately — as so often in London — the police did

nothing to stop the aggressive chanting and waving of Palestinian flags to intimidate local Jewish residents. The Jewish Literary Foundation, which hosts Jewish Book Week every Spring, has

just been presented with a substantial security bill, which it will struggle to pay. And, finally, the Barnet Literary Festival, which takes place in Barnet Library every year, has had to

take place online this year because of the Council’s security concerns.  The larger issue, why Jews are increasingly excluded and discriminated against in British culture, is unfortunately

even more pressing. Last year when I went to see Tracy-Ann Oberman starring in _ The Merchant of Venice 1936 _ my wife took a plastic bottle of water. The security people at the door asked

her to drink from it to prove that it didn’t contain acid, in case she was planning to throw it at the actors.  Last week, the Royal Court Theatre was reported to the Charity Commission for

allowing its staff to campaign for the Palestinian cause by wearing “Free Palestine” badges. This was not entirely surprising, since the Royal Court has a history of producing plays by

playwrights who are known for being passionate critics of Israel: for example, _ Perdition _ by Jim Allen, which was intended to be directed by Ken Loach, and _ Seven Jewish Children – a

Play for Gaza _ by Caryl Churchill. Also last week, Nicole Lampert wrote online about the story of Candida Gertler OBE, an Anglo-German art philanthropist and writer, who has donated

millions to help struggling young artists. Lampert wrote, “She’s also a Jew and, like most Jews, a Zionist. Of course that meant she was ripe for cancellation. Her name was taken off a donor

board at Goldsmiths College and there was an attempt to also have her cancelled from the Tate. Well, they’ve got their way. Another major donor to the arts has decided to walk away rather

than be hounded by the bullies who want to see Jews hounded by the bullies who want to see Jews hounded out of public life. Describing why she was quitting all her voluntary positions in the

UK arts world, she asked why people were refusing to stand up to these bullies. She has left as a protest, writing: ‘As someone who has dedicated much of my life to supporting contemporary

art, championing dialogue, and creating platforms for diverse voices, I can no longer stand silent when institutions, intimidated by violent and aggressive activism that dismisses dialogue

or any kind of communication fail to uphold the foundational values f equality and respect. Recent revelations of vile antisemitic sentiments in these spaces have shocked and appalled me.

These are not isolated incidents but part of a broader culture that seeks to marginalise and dehumanise Jews.’” Gertler — a resonant surname in the history of Anglo-Jewish art — went on to

say that her actions are a tribute to the legacy of “countless citizens in the 193s0s who were deeply involved in the cultural fabric of European cities, only to face a wave of racism,

prejudice, libel, and the inaction of their peers.” It was also, she said, “a refusal to repeat the failures of history.” The Campaign Against Antisemitism responded to Gertler’s decision by

writing, “When a patron of the art scene like Ms Gertler feels as though she has no other choice but to remove herself from the milieu that she loves most, that she has dedicated her life

to, because of the rising tide of antisemitism, then this must be a wake-up call for all of those not yet  aware of what is happening in this country.”  This coincided with the decision of

more than a thousand artists and “art workers” to sign an open letter calling on The Tate to cut ties with Gertler’s charity. Signatories of the letter include the current Turner Prize

nominee Jasleen Kaur, as well as past Turner Prize winners Helen Cammock, Lawrence Abu Hamdan and Charlotte Prodger, according to  _ Art Newspaper _ . Outset, which Gertler co-founded in

2003, has raised over £16 m ($20.3 million) for the arts, earning her an OBE “for services to Contemporary Visual Arts and Arts Philanthropy”. The fund also contributes to Israeli art

institutions, and Gertler is a committee member of the British Friends of Art Museums in Israel. It should be pointed out that Gertler is not just Jewish but, according to _ The Jewish

Chronicle _ , is “married to billionaire German-British real estate developer Zak Gertler, who reportedly hosted Benjamin Netanyahu’s 70th birthday party in 2019 and donated to the prime

minister’s political campaigns.” Nicole Lampert has had a busy few days. She also wrote about a display at the British Museum (see below) which referred to “Palestine”, which didn’t exist at

the time (1000 BCE). Someone complained and received this reply from an apparatchik at the BM: ‘Thank you for writing to us. We have been in touch with our Middle East department, and they

said: ‘This panel states that “by the beginning of the first millennium BC the Israelites occupied most of Palestine [sic] except for the southern coastal strip…’. The British Museum’s use

of the term ‘Palestine’ is well-established in Western and Middle Eastern scholarship to refer to this historic region, without particular reference to individual cultural groups or

political entities that have developed in the region in the past or more recently.’ I do hope this is helpful, and we hope to see you again soon.” As Lampert wrote, “Little by little the

story of the region is being rewritten but I expect better of the British Museum.”  The historian Simon Sebag Montefiore responded, “Here is a classic, somewhat absurd case of progressive

presentist inversion and distortion of history in the captioning at the British Museum… Canaan is probably the right word here. Or even Judea. Or even Holy Land. But not Palestine since

Hadrian redesignated Judea as part of Syria-Palestina around 135AD which is over a thousand years later and in a different world…. But we do expect high standards from The British Museum.”

    And then there is Oxford. The Oxford Union hit the headlines last week with an appalling scene during a debate about the Middle East. One of the speakers at the debate, Mosab Hasan

Yousef, wrote, “Oxford Union is controlled by terrorist supporters. Last night I asked the participants and pro ‘Palestine’ opponents during a debate at Oxford Union if they would have

reported Hamas plans to authorities to prevent October 7 massacre [sic]; 75% of the participants voted they would have chosen not to report Hamas plans to the authorities.” Emily Schrader, a

vocal supporter of Israel, wrote, “never in my lifetime have I seen such appalling mob-incited unbridled Jew hatred… The entire debate … was rigged to intentionally makes Jewish students

unwelcome. … In the face of snickering and mocking at mentions of antisemitism – the constant interruptions, insults, racism, cursing and screaming… When he [Mosab Hasan Yousef] raised

awareness for the hostages – Arab Muslim hostages – the Arab Muslims in the Oxford Union insulted them, grabbed the phot and stomped on it.” The President of the Union argued on the side of

the proposition and allegedly tried to kick one of the speakers on the other side out of the debate for “insulting Palestinians”.   This is quite a range of cultural institutions: The

British Museum, The Oxford Union, Goldsmiths, the Tate and the Royal Court. And quite a range of actions against Jews or supporters of Israel: a speaker driven out of the Oxford Union, a

philanthropist having her name removed from a cultural centre, labels at a museum exhibit anachronistically using the term “Palestine”, staff at a famous London theatre wearing “Free

Palestine” badges. This is why on 5 December there will be a public meeting to discuss whether British Jews are welcome in the British arts today.   A MESSAGE FROM THEARTICLE _We are the

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