The British Museum pushed back a planned lecture called “The Ancient History of Israel and Judah,” claiming that a “significant proportion” of the people expected to attend wanted to protest the event.
The London museum announced the postponement on Thursday, in a release that noted that the event was part of Jewish Culture Month but did not state the name or subject of the lecture. Then, on Friday, the museum said that “The Ancient History of Israel and Judah” would now take place “early next month,” without a date specified.
The reason for the delay, the museum said on Thursday, was that many attendees allegedly sought to “deliberately disrupt the event, preventing others from participating in good faith and undermining the purpose of the programme.” Who these individuals were, and how they sought to interrupt the event, was not explained in the museum’s statement.
“The British Museum fully recognises the importance of lawful protest and freedom of expression in a democratic society,” the museum said on Thursday. “Equally, we have a responsibility to ensure that events hosted within the Museum can proceed safely, securely and without intimidation for speakers, staff and visitors alike.”
Moreover, the museum said, “This decision was made to protect the event — not to diminish it.”
The postponement drew condemnation from many individuals along various parts of the political spectrum.
Simon Schama, an art historian who has posted on social media in support of Israel, said the postponement sent “the wrong message” on Thursday on X. Meanwhile, the activist group Jewish Artists for Palestine asked, “What is the purpose of holding a talk on such a controversial topic if not to invite questioning and debate?”
Seemingly in acknowledgement of the firestorm, British Museum chair George Osborne linked to the institution’s statement on X, writing, “Worth reading before speculating.”
The museum’s statement from Friday contained little more in the way of information than yesterday’s release. The four-paragraph statement from today concludes: “Exploring and understanding history lies at the heart of the British Museum’s mission. We are proud to work with faith, community and national organisations across a wide range of subjects and perspectives, and this event is no exception.”
The British Museum received scrutiny earlier this year after reports that the word “Palestinian” was dropped from certain wall texts following pressure from UK Lawyers for Israel. The museum subsequently denied that the word was excised from its didactics.
