A new survey exposed the extent of antisemitism in Britain’s cultural scene, and how Jews are being increasingly marginalized by a community that supposedly celebrates inclusion. AAAUK reported that artists are hiding their Judaism to avoid abuse or their events being threatened with boycotts. One literary agent reported that publishers are refusing to publish books by Jewish authors, and “much of literary London is now a no-go zone for Jews.” Shani Haquin, a Jewish artist, said, “On October 7 Hamas murdered 19 people I knew, at the Nova festival and in the kibbutzim. Yet within hours, people I know through the arts put messages on social media in support of Hamas… I could easily have been at the Nova festival, but these people didn’t care. I felt they would be happy if I were dead.” Jewish artists deserve to express themselves freely, without hiding their identity in fear. There is a long history of antisemitism in the art world, and it should not be up to Jews alone to dismantle it.
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