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Cultural Antisemitism: Jewish Comedians Dropped From UK Arts Festival Due to Israel Support
Performers at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2024. Photo: Andrew Wilson/EEm/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Two Jewish comedians had their shows cancelled from a major arts and culture festival in the city of Edinburgh in Scotland because of their pro-Israel views along with “safety concerns” expressed by staff members at the venues.
Philip Simon was set to perform his solo show “Shall I Compere Thee in a Funny Way?” at the venue Banshee Labyrinth as part of the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which runs from Aug. 1-25. But on Saturday, he was told that the venue has cancelled his show due to the fact that his “views concerning the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine … are in significant conflict with our venue’s stance against the current Israeli government’s policy and actions,” according to Simon.
“We feel it is inappropriate for us to provide a platform for performers whose views and actions align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations,” the venue further explained in a statement to the comedy website Chortle. They expressed concerns with Simon’s pro-Israel statements and opinions on X, formerly known as Twitter. They cited specific tweets, which include a recap of a pro-Israel rally that Simon attended and support for the hostages abducted by Hamas terrorists from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Simon said in a statement on social media that he has “never expressed support for anything other than freeing the hostages and finding a way for peace.”
“It is sad to think that these views could conflict with anyone who wants to see a lasting peace in Gaza and Israel,” he added.
Late last week, Simon’s comedy variety show “Jew-O-Rama,” which features Jewish and non-Jewish comedians, was also cancelled from the Edinburgh Festival by Whistle Binkies, the venue scheduled to host the show. Jewish comedian, writer and director Rachel Creeger was set to perform her solo show “Ultimate Jewish Mother” at the same venue as part of the festival, but her show was also cancelled.
Neither of the shows are about Israel or politics. Simon has been doing his show for nine years and five times at Whistle Binkies. This year would have marked Creeger’s third year performing “Ultimate Jewish Mother” at Whistle Binkies. She is the only practicing orthodox Jewish woman on the comedy circuit in the United Kingdom, according to her bio on Instagram. She wrote in an op-ed for Jewish News that Whistle Binkies has been supportive in the past and even told her last year: “We’ll look after you, no one messes with OUR Jews.”
Creeger and Simon both claimed that their Edinburgh Festival shows were cancelled because staff at the venue complained about security concerns and not feeling safe if the venue hosted the two acts. Managers at Whistle Binkies “have cited bar staff discomfort at hosting Jewish shows,” according to an explanation shared on the Facebook page for the podcast “Jew Talkin’ To Me?” which Simon and Creeger co-host.
“When it comes to safety, they said they felt that the extra safety precautions that many Jewish performers are subject to at the moment, due to rising antisemitism, made them feel, ironically, more unsafe,” Creeger told Times Radio on Sunday. “They also cited that they had increased graffiti in the venue since having us, which they found threatening, we’re not sure why – we certainly weren’t the people creating the graffiti.”
“I am still processing the concept that in 2025 I can be cancelled just for being Jewish,” Simon said on Sunday in response to two of his shows being cancelled by the Edinburgh Festival. He hopes to find alternative venues for both of his cancelled shows and asked supporters to not boycott the venues because “they are hosting some incredible acts who I wouldn’t want to suffer negatively because of this.”
Outage from fellow comedians, politicians and pro-Israel groups has been escalating since the cancellation of the comedy shows.
“That is a shocking state of affairs,” Shadow Scotland Secretary Andrew Bowie told Times Radio. “Everybody should be welcome to this country, regardless of their faith, regardless of where they’ve come from, to perform at the Edinburgh festival or anywhere else for that matter.”
The organization UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) said on Sunday it has written to the Whistle Binkies, informing them that its decision to cancel Simon and Creeger’s shows are in breach of the Equality Act 2010 if they are being discriminated against based on the protected characteristics of race, religion and belief. “This is classic antisemitism, even if it is dressed up as safety fears,” said a UKLFI spokesperson.
Simon’s children’s show at the Edinburgh Festival – “School’s Out Comedy Club” – is still scheduled to move forward as planned.
The post Cultural Antisemitism: Jewish Comedians Dropped From UK Arts Festival Due to Israel Support first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US Secretary of State Rubio Visits Western Wall with PM Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahou and Marco Rubio. Photo: David Azagury, US Embassy Jerusalem
i24 News – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio kicked off his official visit to Israel on Sunday with a symbolic visit to Jerusalem’s Western Wall. He was accompanied by his wife Janet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, as well as US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and his wife.
The delegation participated in the reading of a psalm and a prayer honoring the US president for his support of Israel, commitment to regional security, and efforts toward peace. A separate prayer called for the swift return of hostages held in Gaza.
Rubio and the officials then toured newly uncovered archaeological tunnels beneath the Western Wall, where Mordechai (Suli) Eliav, director of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, presented artifacts dating to the destruction of the Second Temple.
Netanyahu hailed Rubio’s visit as a demonstration of the enduring strength of the US-Israel alliance. “This visit is a testament to the resilience and strength of the American-Israeli alliance, which is as durable and strong as the stones of the Western Wall,” he said. “Under President Trump, Secretary Rubio and their entire team, this alliance has never been stronger.”
At the conclusion of the visit, Rubio signed the Western Wall guest book, writing: “May peace arise over this Holy Land and the entire world.” The gesture marks the start of a diplomatic trip aimed at reinforcing US-Israel cooperation amid heightened regional tensions stemming from the conflict in Gaza.
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Arab-Islamic Summit to Back Qatar After Israeli Attack
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, attends the preparatory ministerial meeting for emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, Qatar September 14, 2025. Photo: Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS
An Arab-Islamic leaders summit in Doha on Monday is expected to rally support for Qatar in the wake of last week’s Israeli attack targeting the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in the Gulf state.
A draft of the resolution that will be considered by heads of state condemned Israel’s attack as a destabilize escalation and said the states opposed Israel’s “plans to impose a new reality in the region.”
The draft, which was seen by Reuters, did not mention any diplomatic or economic moves against Israel. The resolution may change before the leaders meet in Doha on Monday.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said in a televised address on Sunday that Israel’s actions would not stop Doha’s mediation efforts with Egypt and the US to end the war in Gaza.
The September 9 attack, which Hamas says killed five of its members but not its leadership, has prompted US-allied Gulf Arab states to close ranks, adding to strains in ties between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, which normalized relations in 2020.
The emergency summit, bringing together members of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, began with a meeting of foreign ministers on Sunday to craft the draft resolution.
The gathering is a message that “Qatar is not alone … and that Arab and Islamic states stand by it,” Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
NETANYAHU KEEPS UP PRESSURE
Hitting back at global condemnation of the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has kept up pressure on Qatar over the presence of Hamas leaders on its soil, warning Doha on Wednesday to either expel Hamas officials or “bring them to justice, because if you don’t, we will.”
Qatar, a key mediator in efforts aimed at ending the nearly two-year Gaza war, has accused Israel of sabotaging chances for peace and Netanyahu of practicing “state terrorism.” A member of Qatar’s internal security forces was among those killed.
US President Donald Trump has signaled unhappiness over the Israeli attack, saying it did not advance Israeli or US goals, calling Qatar a close ally working hard to broker peace.
He also said eliminating Hamas was “a worthy goal.” After the attack, he told Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani that “such a thing will not happen again on their soil.”
Netanyahu said on Saturday that getting rid of Hamas leaders living in Qatar would remove the main obstacle to releasing hostages still held by the group in Gaza and ending the war that began with the militant group’s October 7, 2023 attacks.
The UAE, a US ally and the most prominent Arab state to normalize ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords, on Friday summoned the deputy Israeli ambassador over the attack and subsequent remarks by Netanyahu which it described as hostile.
The UAE has described Qatar’s stability as an “inseparable part of the security and stability of the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council,” which includes Saudi Arabia.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
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Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Tensions Among US Middle East Allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media, before departing for Israel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the terrorists and end the Gaza war.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them. We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” he said.
“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”
Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.
On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.
Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.
Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.
ON Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.