[DEBATE] : Palestinian Filmakers/Artists/Cultural Workers Call for a Cultural Boycott

[Salim Vally]

Palestinian Filmmakers, Artists and Cultural Workers 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 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 at 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




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