Palestinian Filmmakers, Artists and Cultural Workers Call for a Cultural Boycott of Israel

From the www.monabaker.com archive (legacy material)

Palestinian Filmmakers and Artists | PACBI | 4 August 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 Israel’s 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 Syria’s 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):
Adila Laidi, Lecturer
Anan Brakat, Filmmaker, Arab Cinema School
Annemarie Jacir, Filmmaker
Azza El-Hassan, Filmmaker
Bahia Munem, Filmmaker
Dahna Abourahme, Filmmaker
Dima Abu Ghoush, Filmmaker
Emily Jacir, Artist
Enas Muthaffar, Filmmaker
Amer Shomali, Artist
Bashar Ibrahem, Film critic,
Faten Farhat, Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center
Ghada Terawi, Filmmaker
Hanna Atallah, Filmmaker
Hanna Elias, Filmmaker
Hany Abu-Assad, Filmmaker
Haya Al-Jareedy, Filmmaker
Hayan Charara, Writer
Hazim Bitar, Filmmaker
Iman Aoun, Ishtar Theatre
Iman Hammouri, Popular Art Centre
In’am El-Obeidi, Media Department, Birzeit University.
John Halaka, Artist
Juliano Mer Khamis, Actor & Director
Kais Al-Zubaidi, Filmmaker
Kamal Boullata, Artist
Karma Abu-Sharif, Writer
Khadijeh.H.Abu-Ali, Filmmaker
Khaled Jubran, Musician
Larissa Sansour, Artist
Leila Sansour, Filmmaker
Liana Saleh, Filmmaker
Lina Bokhary, Artist
Lois Nakhleh, Artist
Mahmoud Massad, Filmmaker
Mai Masri, Filmmaker
Manal Issa, A.M.Qattan Foundation
Mazen Saade, Filmmaker & Writer
Michel Khleifi, Filmmaker
Miguel Littin, Filmmaker
Nabila Irshaid, Artist
Nahed Awwad, Filmmaker
Najwa Najjar, Filmmaker
Nizar Hassan, Filmmaker
Omar Barghouti, Dance choreographer
Omar Qattan, Filmmaker
Osama Al-Zain, Filmmaker
Rana Bishara, Artist
Rania Elias- Khoury, Yabous Productions
Rashid Masharawi, Filmmaker
Reem Fadda, Palestinian Association of Contemporary Art
Riyad Deis, Filmmaker
Rowan Al Faqih, Filmmaker
Rula Halawani, Artist/photographer
Saed Andoni, Filmmaker
Saleh Bakri, Actor
Salim Abu Jabal, Writer
Salwa Mikdadi, Curator
Samia A. Halaby, Artist
Sobhi al-Zobaidi, Filmmaker
Suleiman Mansour, Artist
Suzy Salamy, Filmmaker
Taghreed Mishael, Filmmaker
Ula Tabari, Filmmaker
Vera Tamari, Artist
Wafa Jamil, Filmmaker
Walid Abu Bakr, Writer
Varteni Mosditchian, Artist/Painter
Hala Al-Yamani, Drama Teacher
AbdelFattah Abu-Srour, Al-Rowwad Cultural and Theatre Training Center
International Supporters:
Adrian Mitchell Poet/Playwright U.K
Ahmed Shoka, Psychiatrist & Media Consultant, UK
Aseel Nasir Dyck, USA
Basil Khalil, Producer/ Filmmaker, United Kingdom
Brian Johnston, School of Drama,Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Carolina Rivas, Filmmaker, Mexico
Christine Tackley, Writer, Canada
Corine Dhondee Filmaker England
Daoud Sarhandi, Filmmaker, Mexico
Deborah Al-Najjar, Writer
Gert Soer, Jordan
Hyder Yusafzai, Pakistan
Isis Saratial Misdary, Theatre Director, Egypt/USA
John Wight, Scotland
Kolin Kobayashi, Artist/videomaker, writer, France
Marieke Bosman, UK
Mary Tuma, Artist, USA
Maymanah Farhat, Art historian, Lebanon/U.S.A
Michel Moushabeck, editor, musician, USA
Mona Abaza, Egypt
Mona Baker, UK
Mona El-Bayoumi, Artist, Egypt/USA
Muhammad-Khalil ibn Abdullah “K. Real”, Rapper/Actor, USA
Nicholas Rowe, Writer/choreographer, Australia
Reena Katz, Artisit, Canada
Samirah Alkassim, Filmmaker, Egypt/Jordan
Sehbal Senyuret, Filmmaker, Turkey
Selda Salman, Executive producer, Turkey
Sophie Fiennes, Filmmaker, United Kingdom
Sura Faraj, Publisher/Editor, USA
Susan Nathan, Author
Vandecan Myriam, Belgium