Let's give some modern-day censors credit.
They don't always want to silence artists or inhibit certain views from being heard. They're just plain scared.
Some recent cancelled stars include singer Matisyahu, actor/author Brett Gelman ("Stranger Things") and actor/comedian Michael Rapaport ("Beautiful Girls," "Atypical"). They've been punished for either being Jewish, supporting Israel or both.
Their cancellations came after violent threats flooded the venues where they were scheduled to appear. That was also the case with author Alyssa Rosenheck of "White. Blonde. Jew." fame. Her Nashville book store appearance suffered a similar fate.
A Statement Regarding the Cancellation of My Nashville Book Launch: On Sunday, July 26, Bell Bird Books communicated it no longer felt it could continue promoting either me or my upcoming Nashville book launch for White. Blonde. Jew. Two days later on July 28th, the bookstore informed my literary agent that it was canceling my book launch. On July 29th, less than 24 hours after canceling the Aug. 20 event, Bell Bird Books provided statements to The Tennessean expressing support for the event, even though it had already canceled it. I was never contacted by the Tennessean for comment. On Thursday, July 30, Bell Bird Books removed the event announcement from Instagram, deleting all public mention of my book launch without issuing any public statement that the event had been canceled. Rather than informing readers and ticket holders, Bell Bird Books deleted the post. As a proud Jewish author who values free speech and who strongly believes in the power of words to change hearts and minds - and as someone who has always supported independent booksellers - I’m saddened and deeply disappointed at the state of affairs that led to my cancellation. This entire episode raises important questions about whether our society truly values the First Amendment, freedom of speech, and the ability of authors to express controversial or unpopular views without being cancelled for them. There is no crime in being proudly Jewish. There’s nothing wrong with condemning antisemitism and extremism. These topics shouldn’t be controversial - they should be openly and freely discussed. When bookstores cancel authors under pressure from activists, they are silencing speech and making a mockery of the First Amendment. Worse, they are rejecting the American tradition of giving writers the freedom to discuss and defend their opinions in the public square. Jewish authors should have the freedom to participate in the marketplace of ideas without organized pressure campaigns seeking to silence us, and institutions and businesses should have the courage to stand up to public pressure. My book, ‘White. Blonde. Jew.’ is a call to reject extremism, defend intellectual freedom, and reclaim the center at a time when intimidation is increasing and meaningful conversation is abandoned. My book delivers an important message for our increasingly divisive times. No business that pretends to give a voice to all points of view should kowtow to the bigots who would silence an author because of her religion or her strongly held beliefs. A new Nashville venue - and, if necessary, a new date - will be announced shortly. All ticket holders will receive refunds, and I look forward to gathering with those who lead with curiosity and who believe ideas should be met with discussion. I remain committed to this conversation, and it is far from over.
— Alyssa Rosenheck (@AlyssaRosenheck) July 31, 2026
Let the show go on as planned and you may face the consequences. The right answer, of course, is to deny the "heckler's veto" and/or hire security guards to ensure no one gets hurt. Here's betting more than a few retired cops or military veterans would be happy to help, maybe free of charge.
This is the New Normal, one that legacy media outlets are loathe to cover, let alone connect the necessary dots. Why are pro-Palestinian movements so quick to threaten violence (let alone carry it out)?
Now, there's another protest afoot, but this one is ... different.
Pro-Israel activists are speaking out against "NAZA." The new documentary alleges IDF forces are regularly committing war crimes and targeting Palestinian civilians.
The film has received rapturous receptions on the film festival circuit, and it looks to make serious noise this awards season.
True? False? It's a documentary, and art should be allowed to be seen and heard.
The folks protesting the film aren't trying to silence it.
“Our message is clear: wherever lies are told about Israel, we will show up with the truth,” said Aya Shechter, the Israeli-American Council (IAC)’s chief operating officer in a statement.
A similar protest held in New York last month found a similar sentiment. Screen the movie, and let other voices also be heard.
“We’re here not because we’re saying, don’t show the film,” [Israeli-American Council] co-chair Tal Shuster said of NAZA during the New York rally. “Everyone has the freedom of speech, that’s the United States. We are saying: it’s not all the facts. Show everything else, not just the documentary.”
Another important note? The "NAZA" screenings didn't have to beef up security due to the protesters. They didn't threaten violence, nor were they attempting to shut the movie down.
A recent performance of "October 7" at Northwestern University got interrupted when someone pulled a fire alarm. Just an accident, we're sure. Thankfully, the show went on anyway.
Now, compare that to this response to Rapaport's Portland appearance two years ago.
🏴🇵🇸 Portland comrades: Protest against zionist Michael Rapaport unless the show is cancelled. Fri-Sun 1/12-14 6pm @ 1510 SE 9th Ave (Helium Comedy Club) 🇵🇸🏴 1/2 #portland #pdx #palestine #gaza #GazaHolocaust #GazaCeasefire #CeasefireNOW #StopGazaGenocideNOW #freepalestine https://t.co/5dplOHvdXA
— BashTheFash (@BashTheFash161) January 11, 2024
If you look really hard and squint you can see the difference between the two protests.
One side of the intractable Israel/Palestinian conflict wants to simply get their message out and let people decide. The other? If you let the people decide for themselves, and you'll pay a hefty price.
Which one sounds more appealing?
