When a scheduled appearance by Israeli stand-up comedian Guy Hochman was abruptly canceled at a Beverly Hills screening venue in January, the decision initially appeared to be another protest-driven disruption tied to the war in Gaza. But the venue’s own public statements became the center of the controversy, drawing criticism from Jewish organizations, free speech advocates and industry figures who described the original response as discriminatory and, in some cases, antisemitic. In a statement signed by Screening Services Group president Michael S. Hall, the venue said it had rented its Fine Arts Theatre to a promoter without prior knowledge of...