The Real Cancel Culture: Pro-Israel Blacklists

A public letter in Harper’s Magazine decries the intolerant atmosphere of “Cancel Culture,” as it produces a culture that excludes more vulnerable ordinary people from democratic participation. The author identifies how an insidious cancel culture has targeted Palestinians by stifling their free speech and censoring their voices. Palestinian grievances are handled as if they are non-existent and a blind spot that no one wants to discuss. This suffering in silence is manifested by Canary Mission, which organization operates to blacklist everything Palestinian so that there is no platform for voicing complaints. Its website brands any pro-Palestine activists of any degree to a level that makes their lives much more difficult; the site’s impact is compounded by the support it receives from anonymous, wealthy backers who could affect government actions. The Canary Mission is a tool of silencing through fear that has the capacity to slander individuals to the point of halting employment, or even being used by the FBI for questioning. Ordinary individuals including student activists are left vulnerable, not able to confront the blacklisting and its effects. Harper's letter is an attempt to push back against this cancel culture, but more effort is needed to protect ordinary people from this coercive, totalitarian-style censorship.