British Museum postpones lecture on ancient Israel and Judah over disruption fears

The British museum has postponed a lecture on the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah that was scheduled as part of Jewish Culture Month after concerns that planned disruptions could prevent the event from taking place.

The talk, due to be held on Thursday, was postponed after the museum said it became aware that a significant number of registered attendees intended to disrupt proceedings, BBC reported.

In a statement, the museum said the decision was taken to ensure the event could be held in a safe and respectful environment rather than be derailed by protests.

The museum later confirmed that the lecture, titled The Ancient History of Israel and Judah, would be rescheduled for early next month and would also be livestreamed to accommodate wider public interest.

“We were informed that a significant proportion of registered attendees were individuals intending to deliberately disrupt the event,” the museum said, adding that it remained committed to providing a space where history and culture could be explored “openly, respectfully and without disruption”.

The event forms part of Jewish Culture Month, a nationwide programme launched by the Board of Deputies of British Jews to celebrate Jewish history, culture and creativity through more than 100 events across Britain.

The Board of Deputies described the postponement as “highly regrettable” but said it was working with the museum to rearrange the lecture.



“Jewish Culture Month has seen many of Britain's great cultural institutions partner with us in celebration of British Jewish culture, community and creativity, and we will not allow the actions of extremists to prevent the British public from enjoying these events,” the organisation wrote on X (formerly Twitter).


The decision also drew criticism from the Campaign Against Antisemitism, which argued that the postponement reflected wider challenges facing Jewish cultural events in Britain.

Meanwhile, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch urged the government to ensure the event could proceed, saying Jewish cultural activities were increasingly being cancelled or disrupted.

The lecture was due to be delivered by Paul Collins, keeper of the Department of the Middle East at the British Museum, and was set to examine archaeological and historical evidence relating to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah between approximately 900 BC and 50 BC.

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