Bluesky

The last place I’d expect any drama is in a public library in Regina, Saskatchewan. Regina, despite a distant past as a hotbed of socialism during the 1930s, is a sleepy provincial capital, an oasis of calm amid the rolling wheatfields of the Canadian prairies. The libraries in the city, like the province itself, are models of the Canadian love of calm and order.

But the turmoil over Israel/Palestine is an earthquake whose tremors can be felt even in the hinterlands of Canada. I was scheduled to deliver a talk on June 25 by a group called Palestine Solidarity Regina, to be held in a room booked at the Regina Public Library.

I’ve been told that the booking has been canceled. The reason given by the library was it “has the likely effect of promoting discrimination.” As Palestine Solidarity Regina noted, “No evidence or explanation was provided to support that allegation.”

I was taken aback by this because this was a talk I had delivered before at the University of Regina in May without incident. In fact, CBC radio had me on to rehearse the main points of my argument for their program Blue Sky. Again, there was no incident over my radio talk, held on a popular show by a public broadcasting station with a large audience. I didn’t even hear any complaints.

The gravamen of my talk is about how Israel has served the interests of American imperialism since 1967. In the talk, I specifically dispute the popular but mistaken idea that the Israel lobby (rather than the interests of the national security elite) drives American policy.

My talk will go forward in another venue (as soon as one is secured).

In the meantime, Palestine Solidarity Regina is asking people interested in the issue to e-mail the relevant government officials. In a statement, the group wrote:

We need you to contact the RPL Board and CEO today to let them know that the library should not be censoring free speech about the atrocities in Palestine. There is nothing discriminatory about discussing Israel’s role in imperialism and the root causes of the genocide.

We are hoping to resolve this and have the booking reinstated, but THE TALK WILL BE GOING AHEAD regardless. Stay tuned for confirmation of the venue!

…

Denying people the opportunity to discuss and learn about what is happening in Palestine contravenes the Canadian Federation of Library Associations’ Statement on Intellectual Freedom. It is also a clear violation of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and our Charter Rights and Freedoms under the Canadian Constitution.

An urgent message from the Editors

As the editors of The Nation, it’s not usually our role to fundraise. Today, however, we’re putting out a special appeal to our readers, because there are only hours left in 2025 and we’re still $20,000 away from our goal of $75,000. We need you to help close this gap. 

Your gift to The Nation directly supports the rigorous, confrontational, and truly independent journalism that our country desperately needs in these dark times.

2025 was a terrible year for press freedom in the United States. Trump launched personal attack after personal attack against journalists, newspapers, and broadcasters across the country, including multiple billion-dollar lawsuits. The White House even created a government website to name and shame outlets that report on the administration with anti-Trump bias—an exercise in pure intimidation.

The Nation will never give in to these threats and will never be silenced. In fact, we’re ramping up for a year of even more urgent and powerful dissent. 

With the 2026 elections on the horizon, and knowing Trump’s history of false claims of fraud when he loses, we’re going to be working overtime with writers like Elie Mystal, John Nichols, Joan Walsh, Jeet Heer, Kali Holloway, Katha Pollitt, and Chris Lehmann to cut through the right’s spin, lies, and cover-ups as the year develops.

If you donate before midnight, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous donor. We hope you’ll make our work possible with a donation. Please, don’t wait any longer.

In solidarity,

The Nation Editors

Donate

I will update information about my talk on my Twitter account. But in the meantime, I want to note that the type of penny-ante bullying of public institutions that pro-Israel groups engage in reveals the intellectual bankruptcy of their agenda. They have no real arguments—and thus work incessantly to suppress speech.

UPDATE: Subsequent to this article, Regina City Councillor Dan Leblanc intervened and sponsored the talk, so it will proceed as planned. Jeet Heer will be speaking at the Regina Central Library on June 25 at 7 pm.