Yasmin’s Eye on …. The young will never forgive the old over their stance on Gaza … The illusion is over … Double standards and double speak … Event disinvitations

The young will never forgive the old over their stance on Gaza

Calling all occupants of planet free speech: Toby Young of the Free Speech Union, bravehearts on Spiked Online, all those combatants keeping us safe from “cancel culture” including our Prime Minister. Have you been abducted by aliens?

You have long proclaimed that free speech is the lifeblood of democracy, universities and the media. That lifeblood is being drained. Where are you when we need you?

In the US, college students and academic staff are being arrested, with some alleging beatings, or suspended by academic institutions. And across Europe citizens are being arrested during protests, denied jobs and prizes. In the UK the silencing operation is more secretive and more pervasive.

The illusion is over

Millions of us believed we were living in liberal, open democracies. Gaza has exposed how unfree the West is and the lies we tell ourselves. Hamas committed appalling acts of violence against ordinary civilians on 7 October. We are allowed to say or write that, as often as we wish. But to point out that the Palestinian people have been oppressed and humiliated by successive Israeli governments for decades, or to accuse that country of apartheid and ethnic supremacy, or to describe Israel’s merciless collective punishment as “genocide” – a UN description – or to be sceptical of some Israeli claims is impermissible, a punishable offence.

These “offences” are not in the statute book, yet over the past six months, Westerners who empathise with Palestinians, or dare to question Israel’s stated reasons for its actions or the complicity of Western governments, are being targeted in ways we associate with dictatorships.

When China rounds up and beats up pro-democracy activists, we are expected to react with righteous horror. When America rounds up and violently arrests pro-Palestinian activists on campus we are expected to impugn the “antisemites”.

Double standards and double speak

The good news is that today, increasing numbers of restive Westerners are revolting against the double standards and doublespeak. They’re marching and calling for Israel to stop its mass violence. They include all ages, races, classes and ethnicities. Accusations of antisemitism were used to muzzle supporters of Palestinian statehood and human rights. That slur no longer works. Populations across North America, Europe and the UK are standing up against powerful elites and their diktats.
Conspiracies are proliferating. You can see why.

Here’s just one example. X is alive with anger about LBC’s decision to part ways with Sangita Myska, the British Indian, ex-BBC journalist who had built up a huge fan base in two years. Soon after a robust interview with an Israeli government spokesman, she vanished from air, and was replaced by former Conservative Party parliamentary candidate and commentator Ali Miraj. There was no statement from her or her bosses on the reason for Sangita being off air until yesterday, when LBC’s senior managing editor, said: “We’d like to thank Sangita for her fantastic contribution to LBC and we wish her every success in the future.”

On social media, Sangita supporters have speculated that her departure was connected to that interview. Sangita is feisty, testy, informed, interrogative but always reasonable and polite, and I hope she returns to the airwaves soon.

Event disinvitations

I don’t know why Sangita is no longer presenting on LBC and she has seemingly chosen to remain silent. But I do know that since 7 October, I have twice been disinvited by organisers of events I was due to speak at. In one case, I was told they didn’t want me there because of my “antisemitic views on Israel”. When I threatened to go public, they quickly apologised and put me back on the programme. I was deeply shocked and upset that this characterisation is now circulating out there.

Parents of secondary school children have told me stories of teachers and headteachers trying to shut down conversations about Gaza. One parent took his boy on a march, took pictures and sent them to the head with the message: “We live in a free country”.

Increasingly, it feels as if we don’t. Post-communism posturing about the US, Europe and UK being exemplars of free speech and expression was, we now realise, propaganda. The West will do anything to defend capitalism, it’s central creed. But freedom? Well, only when it’s expedient and only for approved actors. The young have only just realised this. They will never forgive the powerful for leading them on.