The precedent that was set by the cancellation of my talk in March in Worcester, Massachusetts, under pressure from the Leftist media and Islamic supremacists, and other cancellations in the past under similar pressure, has been reinforced once again: the Great Neck Synagogue on Long Island has caved in to heavy pressure from the same thuggish foes of the freedom of speech, and has cancelled a Pamela Geller speaking engagement that was scheduled for Sunday morning.
Synagogue officials have been subjected to an unrelenting barrage of defamation, lies and smears of Pamela Geller, and until tonight have stood firm — and their statement is as noteworthy for what it does not say as for what it does:
As the notoriety and media exposure of the planned program this Sunday have increased, so has the legal liability and potential security exposure of our institution and it’s [sic] member families. In an era of heightened security concerns it is irresponsible to jeopardize the safety of those who call Great Neck Synagogue home, especially our children, even at the risk of diverting attention from a potentially important voice in the ongoing debate. Accordingly, the Great Neck Synagogue Men’s Club will no longer be sponsoring the appearance of Pamela Geller this coming Sunday, and no event will be taking place in our facility.
Note that they don’t say “We finally realized that Geller was just as bad as they say” or some such. They say: “In an era of heightened security concerns it is irresponsible to jeopardize the safety of those who call Great Neck Synagogue home, especially our children, even at the risk of diverting attention from a potentially important voice in the ongoing debate.” In other words, the Leftist and Islamic supremacist thugs made it clear that the synagogue would be in danger if the event went on.
And so the goons know: make threats, issue smears, and decent people will cave. It is a terrible precedent for the future of the freedom of speech, and for America.