Liberal rabbi who was canceled for pro-Israel beliefs says we're living in 'dangerous' time for free speech

A progressive rabbi who recently fell victim to cancel culture warned of the growing hostility to free speech on college campuses and other liberal enclaves toward anyone who expresses support for Israel.

"Many students complain of not being taught, but being subjected to all manner of propaganda in the classroom. And many Jewish students, in fact, are very fearful of speaking out in defense of Israel in the classroom for fear of a kind of mob mentality and not getting good grades from their professors," Rabbi Andy Bachman told Fox News Digital. "I've heard this over and over and over again, a feeling like academic freedom has taken a backseat to the politicization of the war in the classroom. And it's a very pro-Palestinian bias."

"For people of reason, it's such a difficult, dangerous time to insist that we all find ways to continue to talk to each other despite our differences," he added.

Bachman has experienced this hostility firsthand. Last December he was heckled by students at Hunter College in New York City while moderating a discussion over a film critical of Israel. This month, he was stunned to learn a speaking event at a Brooklyn bookstore was abruptly canceled because of his pro-Israel beliefs.

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Rabbi Andy Bachman talks about being canceled by a NYC bookstore over his "Zionism" and the state of college campuses after October 7. (Andy Bachman/ Getty)

He was scheduled to have a conversation with Jewish scholar Joshua Leifer about his new book at Powerhouse Arena in Brooklyn on August 21. But with less than an hour to go to the event, the manager suddenly canceled it after learning Bachman was a "Zionist."

"We don’t want a Zionist onstage," the now-fired manager of the Powerhouse store said.

Bachman, who has strong ties to the city as the former head rabbi at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, found her response "shocking," particularly since he holds more moderate views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

"Zionism means that, like all nations, that [Jews] have a right to a state of their own, to a homeland of their own, in their historic land," Bachman said. He also believes the land should be shared with Palestinians. But even this position is not tolerated in some hostile environments that have emerged since the October 7 terror attacks, he's found.

"[T]he only acceptable Jew in this movement is the Jew who does not believe that Israel should exist," he told The New York Times.

A person covers themselves with an Israeli flag while looking at demonstrators during a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 21, 2024.  (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)

He was also in disbelief at the idea of a bookstore censoring a conversation about a book it was selling.

"We both initially laughed like, ‘This is absurd. Are you kidding me?’ It was too shocking to believe," he told Fox News Digital.

The rabbi said he received messages of support from pro-Israel New York Democrats like former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.,  after word got out. 

"It was a shock to so many people that as divided as some sectors of the city or the country are over the war, no one ever would have imagined, you know, that a bookstore would step into the breach and tried to censor a conversation, in any way, shape or form, by denying a platform to us," Bachman continued. 

Anti-Israel protesters marched near the United Center in Chicago on Thursday, the final night of the DNC. (Fox News Digital)

Powerhouse staunchly condemned the employee's actions in a statement two days later and relayed that she had been fired.

"A former employee of Powerhouse made the grossly misguided decision to unilaterally derail a high-anticipated event," the bookstore said in a statement. "She abused her position as a Powerhouse employee and wrongfully usurped responsibility for planning and logistics from our designated events managers."

Bachman said he was frustrated by what happened, but it only made him more determined to host the event at another location and make it even better.

One week after the original event was canceled, they were able to book a new location in the heart of Brooklyn and drew a crowd of over 400 attendees, he says.

"It was certainly a great improvement over the really bad experience of last week," he explained.

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A demonstrator wearing a mask in the colors of the Palestinian flag holds up a scarf during a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., August 21, 2024.  (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz)

As college students return to campus this week, Bachman is also concerned about the threat of violence and hostility toward Jewish students on campus.

The rabbi, who also previously served as executive director of the Edgar M. Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at New York University, is calling on university and interfaith leaders to step up and foster an environment of healthy dialogue where every student is respected.

"People need to know that in a university setting, they can come together for difficult conversations, to process difficult experiences, difficult ideas, and that everyone is essentially respected for who they are. Because that's not happening right now," he said. "So I worry that as this war continues to be fought and the leadership of Hamas continues to double down and there's no sign of compromise and Netanyahu's government continues to basically take on the same position, fighting the war until the end, the worst elements of what's been happening on campus are only going to continue."

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