Artswatch Palestine: December – March 2019
Our digest of news from Israel’s cultural war against the Palestinians
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Brian Eno: Israel must not be allowed to use Eurovision as a propaganda tool
“Those of us who make art and culture for a living thrive on free and open communication. So what should we do when we see culture becoming part of a political agenda? “Music unites,” says UK Eurovision entrant Michael Rice. What happens when a powerful state uses art as propaganda, to distract from its immoral and illegal behaviour? Everybody involved in the Eurovision song contest this year should understand that this is what is happening.
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Artswatch Palestine: September- November 2018
Palestinian author Susan Abulhawa (pictured) was on her way to Palestine Literature Festival when she was denied entry to her homeland, held in a prison cell, then flown back to the United States. Our digest of news from Israel’s cultural war against the Palestinians Dareen Tatour Dareen Tatour, Palestinian poet and citizen of Israel, was…
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Judy Joo: Please stand with Palestinians
* In Gaza 97% of water is currently contaminated by sewage and/or salt due to the ongoing blockade of 1.7 million Palestinians living there (Oxfam) Judy Joo is a chef, writer and restaurateur. We love the creativity of her work at London’s Jinjuu — but we hate apartheid, so we’re hoping Joo will turn down the Israeli government-sponsored ‘Tel…
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DJs, producers, electronic musicians join boycott of Israel en masse
Today a wave of DJs, producers, record labels, electronic musicians are speaking up for Palestine and endorsing the cultural boycott of Israel. Using the hashtag #DJsForPalestine, this collective action follows a similar wave from bands, including artists such as Portishead and Wolf Alice, who came out in protest using the hashtag #ArtistsForPalestine, shortly after Israel’s massacre of unarmed Palestinian protesters in Gaza this May.
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Artists call for boycott of Israel-hosted Eurovision 2019 – UK signatories
Artists, musicians and writers from 18 countries have published an open letter condemning the proposed hosting of Eurovision 2019 in Israel, citing the killing of unarmed Palestinian protesters, saying that the contest should be moved to a non-divisive location, and a country with a better human rights record.
The full list British signatories to the letter can be seen here.
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Artswatch Palestine: June-August 2018
Artswatch: June-August report-
*Gaza – The War Against Culture.
*Gaza – The War Over Meaning
*Gaza – The Forbidden Subject
*Tatour – The Forbidden Poet
*Nakba – The Forbidden History
*Daniel Barenboim: Israel Is An Apartheid State
*Artists In Opposition To Israel’s Policies -
Patti Smith, Massive Attack, Viggo Mortensen among 70+ artists demanding free speech on Palestine
The full length version of the letter affirms that, ‘Boycotts which are anchored in universal human rights and aimed at achieving justice for marginalized and oppressed communities are a legitimate nonviolent tactic. They have been used worldwide, including against apartheid in South Africa and the Jim Crow segregation laws in the United States.’
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Young Fathers affirm support for Palestinian rights despite cancellation by German arts festival
“Regrettably, Young Fathers will not appear at Ruhrtrienalle Festival this year as the organisers have decided to cancel our show due to our views opposing the current Israeli Government’s grave violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people and our support of the non-violent and anti racist human rights movement, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS)
We feel it is a wrong and deeply unfair decision by the festival to take this stance and to also ask us to distance ourselves from our human rights principles in order for the appearance to go ahead…”
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Artists join the boycott of Israel en masse
Following Israel’s massacre in Gaza in which snipers targeted thousands of unarmed Palestinian protestors, also attacking medics, journalists, photographers and children – a coordinated wave of bands have publicly endorsed the cultural boycott of Israel in support of Palestinian rights, and for freedom, justice and equality.
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Artswatch Palestine: January – May 2018
Artswatch reports on some of the events before, during and after the 14th May massacre in Gaza. A chain of killings Before the deaths of more than 60 people on 14th May, there were other killings, which took a heavy toll of media workers. In the early hours of April 7, wrote Mariam Barghouti in AlJazeera, ‘we received…
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Award-winning director withdraws film from Seret London Israel Film & TV Festival
“I do not want my film, or my name, to be used to portray an image of Israel as a “melting pot of cultures and religions”.
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Shopping announce withdrawal from Pop-Kultur Berlin in solidarity with Palestinians
‘As a band, Shopping are and will always be completely opposed to any form of oppression and discrimination, including homophobia, transphobia, colonialism and racism. We stand firmly against antisemitism and Islamophobia. For these reasons, and in harmony with the principles of the nonviolent, Divestment and Sanctions movement for Palestinian rights, we affirm our solidarity with the Palestinian call for BDS.’
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Film-makers call on cinemas to reject Israel-sponsored festival
“We, filmmakers, artists and journalists call on our cultural institutions to uphold ethical standards: they should refuse to provide platforms for events sponsored by a regime that is guilty of systematic, large-scale human rights violations. “
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Jamiroquai, will you stand with the Palestinians?
Palestinians pay with life and limb for their protests, and they ask for your support. Will you stand with them? Will you cancel your concert in Israel?
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Morcheeba: Please don’t give comfort to the oppressor
‘Your concert, as Palestinians mark 70 years of dispossession, means a lot to the Israeli government. They use the presence of artists, musicians and writers coming to Israel as a signal to the world, and to the citizens of Israel, that nothing too terrible is taking place there – nothing that would demand urgent attention to Palestinian rights.’
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Artswatch Palestine: October – December 2017
Our regular report on Israel’s war on Palestinian cultural life and expression.
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Artists to Lorde: individual messages of support
Personal messages of solidarity and support to Lorde from Brian Eno and Roger Water, Peter Garbiel and more…
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Leading artists stand with Lorde
‘We deplore the bullying tactics being used to defend injustice against Palestinians and to suppress an artist’s freedom of conscience. We support Lorde’s right to take a stand.’
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Artists’ statements on Trump and occupied Jerusalem
Statements by musicians Peter Gabriel and Robert Wyatt, poet Michael Rosen, playwright Caryl Churchill, writers Selma Dabbagh, Hari Kunzru and Ahmed Masoud, producer Kate Parker and filmmaker Ken Loach – on Trump and the occupation of Jerusalem.
