Ever since a group of surprisingly high-profile theater artists called on Lincoln Center to cancel its upcoming production of an Israeli state-sponsored play, New York City’s theater community has been reeling with discomfort. While many theater professionals sympathize with the Palestinian cause, few, in their heart of hearts, want to cancel a play, especially in today’s hostile cultural environment, where the president plans to eliminate the NEA and Trump supporters are interrupting Julius Caesar.

In the anti-cultural era of Trump, all of those who work in culture want more discourse — not less. So why do so many of us on the cultural left support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against the state of Israel?