More campus cancel culture

Simon O’Connor writes:

I was recently asked to give a talk at a New Zealand university, sharing my impressions of my recent trip to Israel and the Gaza envelope. It would have had a political and legal perspective to it (along with the ethical), so I would assume much discussion with those attending on the nature of the conflict; whether international law is being broken; what possible solutions are possible and feasible; and more.

I was happy to accept the invite but knew in the back of my mind that it was highly likely to be cancelled.

So, I was not surprised when an email came to me stating that because the topic and timing were sensitive, that the talk would be cancelled. At one level I chuckled, possibly due to being correctly prescient yet at another level, I was deeply disappointed – not for me, but our universities as a whole.

Yet the universities insist there is no problem!

If students and staff can’t handle a former MP discussing their first hand experiences and views of the Israel and Gaza conflict, then we don’t have freedom of speech on campus.