Michael Rosen on being cancelled
JVL Introduction
We hear a lot about cancel culture these days, from a number of different perspectives.
There’s the idea that the “wokerati” are destroying freedom of speech for fine upstanding defenders of wholesome traditional values; that you can’t celebrate the glory days of empire any more; that universities are full of snowflake students who can’t bear to hear views about gender or race that offend their delicate sensibilities.
Then there’s the idea, propagated improbably by high-profile Jewish artists, writers, comedians and so forth who are rarely out of the public eye, that antisemitic lefties in the arts and academic, are cancelling Jews, preventing them getting a hearing for the prejudice they face. Examples include David Baddiel‘s book titled “Jews don’t Count” and Jonathan Freedland’s stage collaboration with Tracy-Ann Oberman, “Jews in their own words“.
Then again there is real, insidious cancelling which is never spoken about in the media but is damaging the reputations, livelihoods and in some cases lives of people who criticise Israel. Examples of attempts to muzzle pro-Palestinian artists, academics, journalists, activists and sporting personalities are legion. Some of the victims are world renowned, like socialist film maker Ken Loach. Some are modestly attempting to use their talents in a socially useful fashion, like Tanushka Marah, running a youth theatre company in Brighton.
And some are Jewish, like children’s author, poet, broadcaster and chronicler of Jewish life Michael Rosen. This should not surprise those of us who have been enmeshed in the surreal world of antisemitism allegations levied against any defender of Palestinian rights, Christian, Muslim, Jewish or otherwise. But the story Michael posted on Facebook this week, of being confronted since the 1980s with people silently regulating which Jewish voices may be heard about the Holocaust, is quite extraordinary. Prepare to be shocked.
NWI
This article was originally published by Michael Rosen's Facebook on Fri 10 Jan 2025. Read the original here.
I didn't ever get an explanation
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The ‘Helpful list of resources’ has a special section called: ‘Books for Young People’. The books that you have listed don’t seem to be there.
Thanks Mike. As always, forensic articulate generous humane and sad. Writings to cling to as the dark closes in. On children families and brave people who wanted to celebrate a ceasefire.
I read Michaels FB page and was appalled at his continuing treatment. As a retired teacher my children all loved his stories and learned a lot about the holocaust through him. We need more Rosens not less.’
Thank you for these straightforward words of yours.I admire the way you have coped with such heartless behaviour towards you.Thank you so much for all your books,readings and work.
Your courage, humour and rationality in the face of this cowardly de facto censorship surely exemplify Jewish values.
When Michael was ill during COVID-19 it felt like a close relative (he isn’t)
I have a Muslim friend whose multi-faith event was cancelled at the last minute by a local library. She is hoping that a letter from Jewish friends would work to persuade the library committee to give an explanation and maybe even an apology. I see that Michael’s experience indicates that this is a hopeless ambition. Truly sickening.
Thank you for your very informative account of this insidious cancelling…how you (and others for that matter) cope with this vileness I really cannot comprehend.
Please do continue what you are doing. I’ve followed you since Covid brought you back into my radar and your words are always wise and honest.
I do sometimes wish I could comment on some of your FB posts, but understand why it is kept closed to a select few.
Brilliant exposé by the indefatigable and national treasure Michel Rosen, and the insidious impact and outrageous effect that the Israel Lobby holds at the highest offices, from the majority of Parliamentary MPs right upto the government and its head. This is not anti-semitic trope but a fact.
It reveals in fact reverse antisemitism on ‘the wrong sort of Jew”, and especially on Jews who actually espouse what is contained in Jewish prayers and ethics on justice, mercy, compassion and help for the oppressed. We need to keep up the resistance to this persecution of Jews by other Jews who are welded to the State of Israel and its preservation and support what ever it does, right or wrong. All gezunt, health and strength to Michael Rosen!
Michael’s moving article points to a much wider problem which could in itself be the subject of a conference and wider discussion and that is the anti-democratic nature of the Zionist movement.
Zionism was always a statist movement and those who objected (Judah Magnes etc. were ostracised). Those like Jacob de Haan who were anti-Zionist were often killed.
People are often taken in by the claim that Zionism covers a wide spectrum from left to right but the present genocide shows that this is a lie. There is no substantive difference between ‘left’ and ‘right’ Zionism, Likud and Labour. It is Yair Golan leader of Labour/Meretz who advocated invading Lebanon and starving Gaza.
It took over 20 years for the Zionist movement to take over the Board of Deputies but once in control they outlawed all anti-Zionist dissent.
Likewise with the Holocaust organisations. They are all signed up to an interpretation of the Holocaust that leads to one conclusion – the establishment of the State of Israel – whereas in fact Zionism was proven to be an utter failure in that respect.
That is why we have to break free and why we – JNP/SLN – are organising as we have done for 3 years an alternative HMD event.
The Zionist movement is a totalitarian anti-democratic movement and we have to realise it. Michael Rosen is but one of the casualties.
Michael’s frank, honest and intimate account of his “silencing” and “cancelling”, brings to mind “the Red List” by David Caute, of the role MI5 play(ed) in tracking down historians, writers, intellectuals, academics, actors and scientists. In order to censor film and “the treachery of the pen”, it deliberately set out to covertly identify and suppress “dissenting voices, particularly in the BBC. With the aid of Special Branch, it collected data using spies and informants who identified “dangerous” cultural and political voices. Ostensibly established to combat the Socialist and Communist movements after the first World War, it extended as far as the 1970’s Labour Party. Although today the “list” is of historical value, it would be of no surprise that the “hidden hand” and censorship from Whitehall appears to be at work in protecting the State and its “acceptable” voices. Taking Michael’s story and those of others, it appears that, far from being coincidental, a much more organised “unit” may be controlling the effective narrative of what, in Michael’s case, is the portrayal of a frank Jewish narrative of history and his own experiences expressed in written form?
This is deeply shocking, Michael. Such creepy working-behind-the-scenes. Such outrageous lack of explanations. Bullies are cowards, as your experience proves (and so – in a much more minor way – does mine).
All strength to your arm. You are an inspiration.
Interesting, Mr. Rosen – and enlightening. Resistance is not futile. Keep resisting, and educating. xx
So glad this has been published here. I hope many people will share as widely as possible.
I saw the original post on Michael Rosen’s FB paged and was shocked, but not surprised.
What is so shocking is not that there are some people who set themselves up to be the ones to decide what is or is not acceptable, but that organisations happily collude with this censorship.
Why would any organisation, whether festival, school or whatever think they know enough about any community to then decide that only one group should have their position promoted.
We know the MSM does this all the time (often through laziness) but they are never held to account for what amounts to biased reporting.
And of course we know this happens in political parties!
Thank you for your comment; I would just like to say that I am not sure that organisations “happily” go along with this, many are simply unable to cope with the pressures that ae put on them. It is not courageous it is true but often they simply lack the capacity to deal with the numbers of calls, emails, threats, etc. That is all the more reason why it is important to expose it; if someone as well known, well loved and respected as Michael Rosen is treated like this, imagine how those who are now so well know are treated, quite likely not being heard at all.
Thank you Michael Rosen for giving this account. You’ve borne this in silence for so long; i’ve followed you on various platforms (eg poetry readings, Word of Mouth) for decades but had no idea of this discrimination.
Really important for an actual example of cancellation of jewish voices to be evidenced publicly. As with the smears against corbyn, no proof is ever offered for the so-called ‘jews don’t count’ ‘cancellation’ &, strangely, none is ever requested by msm🤔.
Thank you again for this and your beautiful words and ideas across time & place 🙏🏼
I admire Michael Rosen and always enjoy his writing, whether it’s about education, the Holocaust or his life as a writer. Excluding him from any literary event is a blinkered, small-minded way to deprive hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people of the chance to hear his funny. wise and insightful take on life.
Michael Rosen is an engaging and authoritative writer and broadcaster. Attempts to censor his contributions, particularly to Holocaust education are deplorable. People might object to this, if it were more widely known. Perhaps when folk are participating in Holocaust remembrance or education events, they should question why knowledgeable contributors such as Michael Rosen have not been included. It’s time to be more mindful of the discriminatory choices organisers are making.
This is such a moving account. It touches me personally, through my mother, who was French, and my father, who was English. She was a factory worker in northern France, which was occupied by the Nazis. One day , sometime in 1943 I think, word went round about trains that were waiting in railway sidings – cattle trucks with people inside, sticking their hands through the air vents, pleading for water. The young women went and tried to throw water bottles ( which would have been glass) into the hands, while one would try to distract the armed German guard. I am forever proud of my brave mother for doing that. When they could have just pretended it wasn’t happening. My dad was stationed in her town at the end of the war, they married and came to live in England. Many of the streets in her town are named after resistance fighters who were shot by the Nazis.