The British Museum has postponed a lecture scheduled as part of Jewish culture month due to concerns that protesters might disrupt the event. The talk, originally set for Thursday, will be rescheduled for a later date.
Details of the Postponed Event
The lecture, titled "Ancient Israel and Judah," was to be delivered by Dr. Paul Collins, the keeper of the Middle East department at the museum. It aimed to explore the archaeology and history of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah through artifacts in the museum's collection. The event was also expected to cover historical events such as the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the Maccabean revolt. It was organized as part of the first-ever Jewish culture month in the UK, which runs until June 16.
However, less than 24 hours before the scheduled lecture, the museum announced its postponement. In a statement, the museum explained that it had been informed that a "significant proportion" of the registered attendees were "individuals intending to deliberately disrupt the event, preventing others from participating in good faith and undermining the purpose of the program."
Museum's Justification
The British Museum acknowledged the importance of lawful protest and freedom of expression in a democratic society but emphasized its responsibility to ensure that events hosted within the museum can proceed safely, securely, and without intimidation for speakers, staff, and visitors. After discussions with organizers and security partners, a joint decision was made to postpone the event to a later date "when it can take place in an environment that properly safeguards both the audience experience and the integrity of the program itself." The museum stated it would continue to support Jewish culture month, providing a space where history, culture, and scholarship could be explored "without disruption."
George Osborne, the former Conservative chancellor and chair of the British Museum, shared the organization's statement on X, urging people to read it before speculating.
Reactions and Criticism
The decision drew criticism from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, Jewish commentators, and free speech advocates, who argued that publicly funded cultural institutions should not retreat from hosting historical or cultural conversations related to Jewish identity in response to protest threats. Badenoch called on the government to intervene and instruct the museum to "do what's necessary" for the event to proceed. She stated, "Jewish culture month is meant to promote awareness of and celebrate Jewish culture in the UK. This decision achieves precisely the opposite. The government says it wants to combat antisemitism; it needs to tell publicly funded institutions like the British Museum to do what's necessary to put this event on."
BBC historian and presenter Simon Schama described the move as cowardice, sending a "terrible message." Broadcaster Jonathan Sacerdoti said the effect was "the cancellation of Jews and Jewish events in Britain, our home. That's shameful. The bullies need to be faced down, not rewarded with our cancellation." Shadow Attorney General David Wolfson disagreed with the decision, calling it "the wrong decision, at the wrong time, and sends precisely the wrong message."
The Board of Deputies of British Jews expressed regret that individuals had sought to deliberately disrupt a Jewish culture month event celebrating Jewish cultural heritage, stating, "We will not allow the actions of extremists to prevent the British public from enjoying these events."
Security Concerns and Allegations
Earlier this month, there was a heavy security presence outside an exhibition in east London telling the stories of participants at the Nova festival, which was attacked by Palestinian militants on October 7, 2023. The British Museum has not identified which groups were believed to be planning protests, but Jewish News reported that members of Jewish Artists for Palestine were among those registered to attend.
On Thursday, Jewish Artists for Palestine, a network of UK-based "anti-Zionist Jewish artists, writers, creatives, and culture workers," questioned the purpose of holding a talk on a controversial topic if not to invite questioning and debate. The group argued that it is "entirely legitimate" to expect a publicly funded museum to host conversations reflecting "different points of view" and contended that treating debate as a security concern suggests the event was a "pro-Zionist propaganda exercise." The organization also questioned why the talk was included in Jewish culture month, noting that "a growing number of UK Jews do not see Israel as a part of their Jewish identity." It called for clarity regarding reported changes to references to Palestine in the museum's galleries, describing what it called "historical erasure" as "unacceptable," and urged the museum to "refuse to participate in the weaponization of archaeology practiced by the Israeli state." The group also renewed calls for the museum to drop BP as a sponsor.
About Jewish Culture Month
Jewish culture month was launched this year by the Board of Deputies as a month-long celebration of the Jewish contribution to British life, featuring over 100 events across the country spanning music, food, literature, comedy, and history. Participating institutions include the V&A, Tate, and Southbank Centre.
