In the face of the ever escalating crimes of the Occupation, Palestinian artists, filmmakers and cultural workers have given out a powerful call to the world to stop any artistic and cultural relations with Apartheid Israel. ***image1***It is a call to end the complicity of the cultural institutions and artists that have so far continued âbusiness as usualâ. It is a call upon all those that have given Apartheid Israel international legitimacy through cultural events.
Only the international isolation of Apartheid Israel, its institutions and exponents are strong enough a tool to challenge effectively the Occupation, its racism and its crimes.
Palestinian Filmmakers, Artists and Cultural Workersâ Call for a Cultural Boycott of Israel
August 1, 2006
Dear Filmmakers & Artists,
During the past few weeks we have borne witness to the escalation of Israeli aggression into open war on both Palestine and Lebanon.
With Israelâs invasion of Gaza on June 27th, 2006, ministries and educational institutions have been destroyed, as has the plant that supplies nearly 50 percent of Gaza’s electricity. Bridges, roads, dozens of homes, and hundreds of dunams of agricultural land have also been destroyed. Sixty-four elected Palestinian legislators, cabinet ministers and officials have been detained without charge.
On July 12th, Israel brought its campaign of collective punishment and military violence to Lebanon, with “Operation Just Reward”. A complete assault, via land, sea, and air, of the Lebanese population and infrastructure has led to total destruction. In just 3 weeks, almost 1 million Lebanese civilians have been displaced and the death
toll has reached 900 Lebanese and 160 Palestinians, with a UN count saying one-third of the dead are children.
Additionally, in violation of international law, Israel continues to occupy Gaza, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), and Syriaâs Golan Heights.
In violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel continues to hold 9,600 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails and detention centers without due process, among them 130 Palestinian women and 388 children, many of them taken from their homes in the middle of the night.
We, the undersigned Palestinian filmmakers and artists, appeal to all artists and filmmakers of good conscience around the world to cancel all exhibitions and other cultural events that are scheduled to occur in Israel, to mobilize immediately and not allow the continuation of the Israeli offensive to breed complacency. Like the boycott of South African art institutions during apartheid, cultural workers must speak out against the current Israeli war crimes and atrocities.
We call upon the International community to join us in the boycott of Israeli film festivals, Israeli public venues, and Israeli institutions supported by the government, and to end all cooperation with these cultural and artistic institutions that to date have
refused to take a stand against the Occupation, the root cause for this colonial conflict.
We call upon you to take a stand in order to appeal to the Israeli people to give up their silence, to abandon their apathy, and to face up to their responsibility in the destruction and killing their elected government is wreaking. To the Lebanese and
Palestinians terrorized by this Army’s planes, bombs and missiles, this silence, apathy and lack of action from Israelis, are regarded as complicit in the ongoing war crimes, as for those Israeli artists, academics and intellectuals who continue to serve in
the Israeli army they are directly implicated in these crimes.
We call upon you to give way to action that would replace words spoken too often and forgotten too quickly. We call upon you to make your voices heard in calling for an end to this bloodshed and an end to this oppression that has lasted too long.
To endorse or answer this call for a cultural boycott of Israel please send an email with your name, position and country to pal.filmmakers@gmail.com
Signatures (Alphabetical)
1. Adila Laidi, Lecturer
2. Anan Brakat, Filmmaker, Arab Cinema School
3. Annemarie Jacir, Filmmaker
4. Azza El-Hassan, Filmmaker
5. Bahia Munem, Filmmaker
6. Dahna Abourahme, Filmmaker
7. Dima Abu Ghoush, Filmmaker
8. Emily Jacir, Artist
9. Enas Muthaffar, Filmmaker
10. Faten Farhat, Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center
11. Ghada Terawi, Filmmaker
12. Hanna Atallah, Filmmaker
13. Hanna Elias, Filmmaker
14. Hany Abu-Assad, Filmmaker
15. Haya Al-Jareedy, Filmmaker
16. Hayan Charara, Writer
17. Hazim Bitar, Filmmaker
18. Iman Aoun, Ishtar Theatre
19. Iman Hammouri, Popular Art Centre
20. John Halaka, Artist
21. Juliano Mer Khamis, Actor & Director
22. Kais Al-Zubaidi, Filmmaker
23. Kamal Boullata, Artist
24. Karma Abu-Sharif, Writer
25. Khadijeh.H.Abu-Ali, Filmmaker
26. Khaled Jubran, Musician
27. Larissa Sansour, Artist
28. Leila Sansour, Filmmaker
29. Liana Saleh, Filmmaker
30. Lina Bokhary, Artist
31. Mahmoud Massad, Filmmaker
32. Mai Masri, Filmmaker
33. Mazen Saade, Filmmaker & Writer
34. Michel Khleifi, Filmmaker
35. Miguel Littin, Filmmaker
36. Nabila Irshaid, Artist
37. Nahed Awwad, Filmmaker
38. Najwa Najjar, Filmmaker
39. Nizar Hassan, Filmmaker
40. Omar Barghouti, Dance choreographer
41. Omar Qattan, Filmmaker
42. Osama Al-Zain, Filmmaker
43. Rana Bishara, Artist
44. Rania Elias- Khoury, Yabous Productions
45. Rashid Masharawi, Filmmaker
46. Reem Fadda, Palestinian Association of
Contemporary Art
47. Riyad Deis, Filmmaker
48. Rowan Al Faqih, Filmmaker
49. Saed Andoni, Filmmaker
50. Saleh Bakri, Actor
51. Salim Abu Jabal, Writer
52. Salwa Mikdadi, Curator
53. Samia A. Halaby, Artist
54. Sobhi al-Zobaidi, Filmmaker
55. Suleiman Mansour, Artist
56. Suzy Salamy, Filmmaker
57. Taghreed Mishael, Filmmaker
58. Ula Tabari, Filmmaker
59. Vera Tamari, Artist
60. Wafa Jamil, Filmmaker