Blackballed by the Belfast Festival: pro-Israel scholar Professor Geoffrey Alderman

Daphne Anson
19 October '10

“He’s a Zionist – get him out of here!” A hiss of that sort, presumably, was the reason that a distinguished British historian had his invitation to speak at this year’s Belfast Festival removed – and at the eleventh hour! A case, no less, of belated blackballing and suppression of free speech (hat tip: Jonathan Hoffman, over at Thejc.com blogs) that can best be described as shameful and squalid.

The Queen’s University of Belfast hosts the Belfast Festival, which last year, if I'm not mistaken, featured Noam Chomsky as a speaker. In the lead-up to this year’s event, the university’s pro-vice-chancellor noted with pleasure that “The content and subjects [to be] portrayed address topics such as the feminism, teenage life and the war on terror. There is hard hitting drama, invigorating music, spectacular dance and a series of exquisite talks and tours. The Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s truly has something for everybody.”

One of the speakers who were lined up to participate at the event is Professor Geoffrey Alderman, who has had an illustrious academic career. The author of a number of pioneering works on the evolution of the Anglo-Jewish community, he is a regular columnist – pungent and pugnacious – in Britain’s leading Jewish newspaper, the Jewish Chronicle.

On 20 September this year Professor Alderman received an email from Graeme Farrow, Director of the Belfast Festival, inviting him to join a panel convened to discuss “Conflict in the Middle East”, and due to take place on the evening of Monday, 18 October – last evening, in fact. “I would be delighted if you would join our panel”, wrote Mr Farrow, and Professor Alderman was pleased to accept the invitation.

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