Edinburgh Fringe Festival Bans Jewish Comedian for Attending Vigil for October 7th Hostages

There have been several anti-Semitic incidents in Europe over the past week.

There was a pro-Hamas mob in Greece trying to prevent Israeli passengers from setting foot in the country, the Spanish airliner removing French Jewish teenagers for singing in Hebrew with authorities assaulting their teacher and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival disinviting a Jewish comedian because he attended a vigil for the October 7th hostages.

It is the latter incident on which I shall center my focus.

From The Telegraph:

Philip Simon was barred from the Banshee Labyrinth pub because of alleged "rhetoric and symbology" linked to Israel.

One reason cited by the venue for cancelling his show, Share I Compere Thee in a Funny Ways?, was his attendance at a vigil for people killed in the 2023 Hamas terror attacks.

In a message to Simon, Banshee Labyrinth said: "Our management had a duty of care to our customers and staff members to review the political statements and opinions expressed by the performer.

"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."

Simon said the only opinion he had expressed on the Gaza conflict was a desire for peace and to see the hostages freed.

So, in the view of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (or one of its vendors) attending a vigil for those who are being held hostage and those who were killed by Hamas on October 7th "align with the rhetoric and symbology of groups associated with humanitarian violations."

In which case, it would seem that in the view of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival the actions of Hamas on October 7th do not constitute "humanitarian violations."

It would then be reasonable to conclude that the Edinburgh Fringe Festival would welcome an act such as Bob Vylan and his chants of "Death!!! Death to the IDF!!!" with open arms.

Indeed, Simon was not the only Jewish comedian whose invitation was revoked. Rachel Creeger, an Orthodox Jewish comedienne who goes by the moniker, "The Ultimate Jewish Mother" was also disinvited from performing due to so-called "safety concerns."

The bottom line is that Jews are not welcome to visit Greece, Jewish children are not welcome to sing in Hebrew in Spain and Jewish comedians in the U.K. are not welcome to perform. It is an ugly pattern which will only get uglier and as mainstream acceptance of anti-Semitism spreads.

To quote the late Tom Lehrer in his song "National Brotherhood Week":

Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics,

And the Catholics hate the Protestants, 

And the Hindus hate the Muslims, 

And everybody hates the Jews.