150 Irish artists announce Israel cultural boycott
Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign signs artists to pledge saying they will refrain from performing in Israel as long as it abuses Palestinian human rights.
By Jack Khoury Tags: Israel news Israel arts
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An anti-Israel protestor at Dublin Airport, Ireland, June, 7, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
More than 150 Irish artists and intellectuals have declared Saturday a boycott of Israel, saying they would not perform or exhibit in Israel until Israel ceases what they call its abuse of Palestinian human rights.
The artists signed a statement, pledging that they refrain from engaging in cultural activity with Israel "until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights”.
Speaking to the Irish Times, the head of the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), Raymond Dean, said that artists that perform in Israel are backing it whether they like it or not."
"You can’t really pin this down…at least an end of the occupation of Palestine; dismantling or at least stopping the settlements; and Israel negotiating in good faith with the Palestinians," Dean said.
The statement comes as more and more artists scheduled to perform in Israel, such Elvis Costello, The Pixies, Jill Scott Heron, Santana, The Klaxons and the Gorillaz Sound System, have canceled their shows, in what appeared to be a response to Israel's raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last May, which resulted in the death of 9 flotilla activists.
Only last month, British electronica duo Leftfield announced that they would be canceling their scheduled performance in Israel on August 31st due what they referred to as production problems.
"Unfortunately Leftfield will not be able to perform at the Heineken Music Conference on the 31st August due to unforeseen production problems," the duo wrote on the Facebook fan page dedicated to their current tour.
Meanwhile, on the duo's official Facebook page they published a letter sent to them by the organization Boycott Israel calling for them to "postpone your planned concert in Israel this summer, indefinitely."
The letter, scanned and posted on their page, stated that in light of Israel's deadly raid on the Gaza flotilla in May, they urged the musicians to take a stand and protest Israel's actions by canceling the show.
"Performing in Israel today means crossing an international picket line," the letter said, adding that, "your visit here will be construed as a vote of confidence in Israel's oppressive policies."
In their cancellation statement the group made no reference to the letter, despite the fact that they had made it public by posting it on their Facebook page.
Leftfiled joined a growing list of artists and musicians who have recently canceled their shows in Israel due to political reasons, among others.
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Irish government has diplomatic relations with Israel and recognizes the state of Israel. It is totally right to boycott goods and products from occupied areas - but that is a totally different issue.
The so-called *Irish artists boycott* is led by a few who are very predictable, always anti-Israel, but never criticize Hamas, and the majority are utterly obscure. Some have been very *understanding* of terror by the Provo IRA on the Island of Ireland, and at least one is a convicted terrorist. The fanatical fringe shout loudly and often, but count for nothing. As an Irishman, I am immensely proud that we gave Israel its 6th President, Chaim Herzog, who fought for freedom and democracy in Haganah, British and IDF uniforms. Such men will never be forgotten but the Hamas fellow-travellers will.
... it will take for our Jewish paranoids and members of the Amen Gallery to remind us that Ireland remained neutral during World War II. "Imagine, neutral to Hitler", etc.
Olmert has proposed to give 99% of the West Bank to the Palestinians. These proposal did not stop the extreme-left for calling to boycott Israel.
All I want to say to these Irish who won't filthy our country with their presence is "Good riddance to bad rubbish!"
The boycotts will grow
Well, Israel will always have Johnny Rotten and that girl.... I forget her name.
this is so hypocritical and antisemitic. why don't these gutmenschen protest against china, cuba, sudan, north korea, russia etc. etc. etc.???????????
You are right, Israel is now associated with contries like Burma and North Korea Is there not a message?
At least if these "artistes" were to get gigs in Gaza or West Bank cities....or even other Arab countries in the region.... their boycott would have more meaning....but there are no gigs coming from these places. Claiming they are boycottong due to Israeli human rights abuse or the flotilla fiasco is stupid....for the simple reason that a. We have seen pictures and read in the media that life in Gaza is doing well. Noone is starving and noone is dying from lack of medicine. b. the evidence from the flotilla raid is going to show that the Israeli commandos only fired in self defence.
... it only reminded me of Monty Pithon's ministry of silly walks. Keep it...
Well done to the Irish Palestine Solidarity Campaign. You have set a precedence in Ireland. I hope other artists not only in Ireland but around the world will join this boycott. To perform in Israel is to endorse the occupation. Stop the occupation now!!!! Peace.
Any outstanding Irish poets since Yeats? No?
You have that bearded Jerry Adams. Ha ! Ha ! Ha !
Let's hope that this government stays in administration for a long time... I mean the Israeli.
What those "artists" would do to express real suffering and pain throughout this world? All they do is systematic bashing of a country they know nothing about. There is nothing worst than an Irish anti-semite.
Catholics
Good for them. Who cares anyway. It's not they are the Stones or the Moody Blues. The probhlem here is they do nto say they will boycot Gaza or Lebanon or Syria for harboring terrorists.
Don't allow them into Israel for 11 years.
I think we will survive quite well without their contributions
ireland with porrtugal sent a telegram of grif for Hitler suicide...
Wake up cause we are all equal human beings =)
"hey rorry, less boycott the joos...here, top me up while i'm waiting"
Fantastic news from our brothers and sisters across the water from us in Scotland. Long live freedom, long live Palestine.
Interesting is the not even one question was asked to the boycot leader about why only Israel is boycotted while Turkey gasses Kurds, China occupies Tibet and Palestinians have no rights in Lebanon and so on and so on. Why just Israel? Does international law only apply to Israel and not to Hamas? Any way mr Khoury be a bit more of a critical journalist and just ask are catholic leftitst Irish people anti semitic or not? I dare to state they are anti semitic!!
With the exception of Santana the other artists are hardly biggies. And, Carlos has been around a little too long anyhow.
Have difficulty recalling any names.....
israeli artists & intellectuals might have supported you. furthermore, to let the flotilla raid spur you to boycott is really as misplaced as it could be. you could just as well boycott all NATO countries over some (much more serious) incident in iraq /afghanistan. you guys are gonna be watched w/mistrust now as many of you will continue to perform in russia, china as well as in a long list of other countries.
wonderful to see a people not under the dominion of evangelicals and pro-israel lobbies
they would do well to focus first on there drinking problems
This is the "culture" that refused to fight the Nazis. Worthless gesture from fools. More to the point: when is Israel going to deny visas to countries that allow boycotts of any type.
...that was the issue back then - nothing else.
LOL!!!!!
So the current conflict in Israel where 2 different ethnicities claim the same piece of land , enables the Irish catholics , an opportunity to vent their true antisemitic feelings , that are the result of years of strict catholic anti-Jewish education.
You were beaten by Catholic hooligans, a) almost all the Catholic bishops are pedophiles. Even that sleepy Vatican got a shock. b) watch their punishment:In Germany alone 4 million Turks. France, 7,million.Europe is swarming with Muslims. They didn't want the Jews, Now Europe will be overrun by Muslims.
starting wake up to the zionists crime against the Palestinians ...
The crime started because of Arab intolerance of Jews.
the British and support the allies in WWW2 against the Nazis, why would they support a Jewish state. Never have they said a word about Palis terror, while feeding weapons to the PLO.
we'll remember...especially when they remain silent when it comes to our enemies.
You are doing the right thing. Israel must be shown the light. This is the only way. The people must do something since our governments will not.
the Irish are the quickly becoming the poster boys for the new european anti semites ....
Becoming like South Africa was.
I was also tipping generously while in Dublin .. Oh well,,,,the priest hand-reared artist boys of Ireland prove abuse leaves indelible marks on ones IQ,