IPSC “Irish Artists’ Pledge to Boycott Israel”
“In response to the call from Palestinian civil society for a cultural boycott of Israel, we pledge not to avail of any invitation to perform or exhibit in Israel, nor to accept any funding from any institution linked to the government of Israel, until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights.” – See the full list of signatories here.
***If you are an Irish artist or an artist based in Ireland and would like to add your signature, please contact culturalboycott [at] ipsc.ie***
Described by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) as “a ground-breaking initiative”, this pledge has so far been signed by over 140 Irish creative and performing artists: novelists, playwrights, poets, actors, composers, singers, dancers, painters, sculptors and filmmakers, ranging from those starting out on their careers to household names. – See here for the full PACBI statement of endorsement.
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Click here to read about and watch videos from the official launch on 12th August 2010
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According to IPSC Cultural Boycott Officer Dr. Raymond Deane, “These artists are aware of the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s statement in 2005 that “We see culture as a propaganda tool of the first rank, and…do not differentiate between propaganda and culture.” These artists refuse to allow their art to be exploited by an apartheid state that disregards international law and universal principles of human rights, but look forward to the day when normal cultural relations can be re-established with an Israel that fully complies with such laws and principles.”
Dr. Deane, himself a classical composer and a signatory of the pledge, recalled Nelson Mandela’s dictum that “boycott is not a principle, it is a tactic depending upon circumstances.” Dr. Deane added: “Five years ago, when 170 Palestinian civil society organisations called a campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, they provided a central plank for worldwide activism on behalf of their cause.”
Dr. Deane continued, “Culture cannot stand aloof from such activism. Whether or not art is ‘above politics’, its presentation and representation in the real world can all too easily be hijacked by oppressive states. With this pledge, Irish artists have an opportunity to distance themselves from such exploitation, and to take a non-violent stand on behalf of the oppressed Palestinian people.”
Full List of Signatories (514)
Last Updated – 17th January 2015
- Astrid Adler – Visual Artist, musician, mime artist
- John Arden († March 2012) – Playwright, novelist
- Siobhán Armstrong – Musician
- Derek Ball – Composer
- Robert Ballagh – Visual artist
- Margo Banks – Painter
- Cormac Begley – Musician
- Liam Bradley – Musician
- Diarmuid Breatnach – Musician, poet
- Cormac Breatnach – Musician
- Cecily Brennan – Artist
- Ronan Browne – Musician
- Conor Byrne – Musician
- Roisin Byrne – Visual artist
- Séamas Cain – Poet, performance artist
- Moya Cannon – Poet
- Liam Carson – Scríbhneoir
- Clare Cashman – Visual artist
- Rhona Clarke – Composer
- Siobhán Cleary – Composer
- Mickey Coleman – Singer/songwriter
- Joe Comerford – Filmmaker
- Michael Connerty – Musician (Moutpiece)
- Neilí Conroy – Actor
- Dorothy Cross – Sculptor
- Charles Cullen – Visual artist
- Michael Cullen – Painter
- Cindy Cummings – Dance artist
- Sinéad Cusack – Actor
- Margaretta Darcy – Author and playwright
- John F. Deane – Writer
- Raymond Deane – Composer
- Seamus Deane – Author
- Renate DeBrun – Painter and printmaker
- Damien Dempsey – Singer
- Tim Dennehy – Singer/songwriter
- Eoin Dillon – Ceoltóir (Kíla)
- Keith Donald – Musician
- Philip Donnery – Musician
- Gráinne Dowling – Visual artist
- Kevin Doyle – Writer
- Robert Doyle – Musician
- Roger Doyle – Composer
- Felim Egan – Visual artist
- Martin A. Egan – Musician
- Naisrín Elsafty – Singer
- Róisín Elsafty – Singer
- Zahrah Elsafty – Singer
- Elaine Feeney – Poet
- Stephen Gardner – Composer
- Anthony Glavin – Novelist and short story writer
- Dearbhla Glynn – Filmmaker
- Johnny Gogan – Filmmaker
- Carmel Gunning – Musician
- Marie Hanlon – Visual artist
- Robbie Harris – Musician
- Paul Hayes – Composer
- Graham Henderson – Musician
- Donogh Hennessy – Musician
- Rita Ann Higgins – Poet
- Michael Holohan – Composer
- Andy Irvine – Musician
- Ryan Johnson – Musician
- Fergus Johnston – Composer
- Fred Johnston – Poet
- Trevor Joyce – Poet
- Bernadette Kiely – Painter
- Brian King – Sculptor
- Vincent Kennedy – Composer
- Trevor Knight – Music/theatre
- Conor Kostick – Novelist
- Gavin Kostick – Playwright
- Dave Lordan – Poet
- Donal Lunny –Musician
- Pól MacAdaim – Singer/songwriter
- Iarla Mac Aodha Bhuí – Scríbhneoir
- Mickey MacConnell – Singer/songwriter
- Tony Mac Mahon – Musician
- Lorcán Mac Mathúna – Singer
- Alice Maher – Visual Artist
- Brenda Malloy – Musician
- Jimmy McCarthy – Singer/songwriter
- Martin McElhinney – Musician (Coldwar)
- Paul Nash – Musician (Coldwar)
- Trevor McLave – (Coldwar)
- Joe McGowan – Author
- Jackie McKenna – Sculptor
- John McLachlan – Composer
- Joleen McLaughlin – Musician (Henry Sisters)
- Karen McLaughlin – Musician (Henry Sisters)
- Lorna McLaughlin – Musician (Henry Sisters)
- Tina Mc Laughlin- Singer/songwriter
- Eoin McLochlainn – Visual artist
- John McSherry – Musician
- Paula Meehan – Poet
- Thom Moore – Songwriter, writer/translator
- Sharon (Shaz) Morgan – Musician, photographer
- Sami Moukkadem – Musician, film-maker, writer
- Hassan Ould Muctar – Musician
- Conor Mullan – Musician
- Janet Mullarney – Visual artist
- Gráinne Mulvey – Composer
- Deirdre Murphy – Dancer
- Niamh Ní Charra – Musician
- Peadar Ó Ceannabháin – Singer
- Saileog Ní Cheannabháin – Musician
- Treasa Ní Cheannabháin – Singer
- Áine Ní Chuaig – Musician
- Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh – Musician/singer
- Liam Noonan – Musician (Digital Disorder)
- Dave Murphy – Musician (Digital Disorder)
- Keith McGovern – Musician (Digital Disorder)
- Ken Deasy – Musician (Digital Disorder)
- Pádraig Ó Baoill – Scríbhneoir
- Niall Ó Callanáin – Musician
- Eamonn O’Doherty († August 2011) – Architect, sculptor
- Méabh O Hare – Musician/filmmaker
- Jane O’Leary – Composer
- Brian Ó hUiginn – Musician
- Donal O’Kelly – Playwright/actor
- Ciarán Ó Maonaigh – Ceoltóir
- Seosamh O Neachtain – Dancer
- Eoin O’Neill – Musician
- Jerry O’Reilly – Singer
- Peadar Ó Riada – Ceoltóir
- Gregory Rosenstock – Writer
- Pauline Scanlon – Singer
- Rossa Ó Snodaigh – Ceoltóir (Kíla)
- Paul O’Toole – Singer/songwriter
- Michael Quane – Sculptor
- Bob Quinn – Visual artist/filmmaker
- Jim Ricks – Visual artist
- Stephen Rothschild – Painter/printmaker
- Mary Russell – Author
- Dermot Seymour – Painter
- John W. Sexton – Poet
- Eileen Sheehan – Poet
- Ronan Sheehan – Novelist
- Michael Smith († November 2014) – Poet and translator
- Moira Tierney – Film-maker
- Hugh Travers – Writer
- Caoimhín Vallely – Ceoltóir
- Laura Vecchi – Painter/writer
- John Wakeman – Poet
- Hilary Wakeman – Author
- Hazel Walker – Visual artist
- William Wall – Author
- Ronan Wilmot – Actor/director
- Steve Woods – Film-maker
- Adam Wyeth – Poet
- Luke Mercer – Musician (Oddsocks Revival)
- Adrian White – Writer
- Tom Fitzgerald – Visual artist
- Clara Rose – Musician
- Conor McGrady – Visual artist
- Dermot McLaughlin – Musician
- Michael Owens – Singer/songwriter
- Anthony Fox – Actor, writer
- Conor Grimes – Writer, actor
- Stuart Nealon – Poet
- Darach Ó Scolaí – Writer
- Cahal Johnson – Musician
- Michael Gallagher – Photographer
- Kevin Spratt (aka Captain Moonlight) – Musician
- Cara Dillon – Musician
- Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh – Ceoltóir
- Fiach (Moriarty) – Singer/songwriter
- Loreana Rush – Photographer
- Alice Hanratty – Painter
- Barry McGovern – Actor
- Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill – Poet
- Lillis Ó Laoire – Musician
- Stephen Rea – Actor
- Liam Ó Maonlaí – Musician
- Ellen Cranitch – Musician
- Sharon Shannon – Musician
- Seamus Cashman – Poet
- Julius Guzy – Painter
- Dermot Browne – Painter
- Denise Cassidy – Painter
- Kevin Crawford – Musician
- Gráinne Holland – Musician (Casadh)
- Frainc Mac Cionnaith – Musician (Casadh)
- Nioclás Mac Cathmhaoil – Musician (Casadh)
- Barry Kerr – Artist and musician
- John Steele – Musician
- Conor Biggs – Musician
- Robbi McMillen – Singer
- Alan O Connor – Photographer
- Sarah Clancy – Poet
- Maria McManus – Poet and playwright
- Tiona McSherry – Musician
- Paul McSherry – Musician
- Daragh Carville – Playwright and screenwriter
- Harry Moore – Artist
- Dylan Walshe – Singer/songwriter
- Melissa Nolan – Actor
- Anthony Kane (aka The Lonely Schizophrenic) – Musician
- John Ryan – Author
- Dermot Kelly – Photographer
- Ciaran Dwyer – Singer/songwriter
- Tommy Halferty – Musician
- Finian Cunninghman – Singer/songwriter
- Eamon Murray – Musician
- Rynagh O’Grady – Actor
- Padraig Murray – Actor
- Michal Leman-Lemanski – Theatre producer/cultural project manager
- Sara Horgan – Visual artist
- Pat ‘deVerse’ Burke – Traditional Singer/Songwriter
- Denise Woods – Director of photography
- Paul Flynn – Composer
- Glenda Cimino – Writer, actor, director
- Shane Cullen – Visual artist
- Jaki McCarrick – Writer
- Tim Ording – Singer/songwriter (Melodica Deathship)
- Roisin Ni Galloglaigh – Musician
- Kevin McCarthy – Visual artist
- Joby Fox – Songwriter
- Rik Walton – Photographer
- Connor Kelly – Poet/musician
- Katrin Neue – Dancer and choreographer
- Pamela Brown – Poet
- Paul Kirby – Visual artist
- Barry Hamilton – Filmmaker and director
- Luke Fallon – Cartoonist
- Ciaran Murphy – Singer/songwriter
- Seán Harrington – Architect
- Cormac O’Neill – Visual artist
- Eamonn Crudden – Filmmaker
- Fares Fares – Visual artist/photographer
- Brian Dunning – Musician
- Paul C. Reynolds – Photographer
- Andrew Edgar (aka Zyme) – Musician (Gamepak)
- Tim Daly – Lyricist
- Gerry Fitzgerald – Musician (The Lee Harveys)
- Stephen Cashell – Musician (The Lee Harveys)
- Paul O Brien – Musician (The Lee Harveys)
- Alice Walsh – Writer
- Daniel Lynch (aka Danny Diatribe) – MC (Diatribe & The Crimson Underground)
- Garvan McCann (aka The Crimson Underground) – Producer (Diatribe & The Crimson Underground)
- Mick Hannigan – IndieCork Film Festival
- Arezu Tabarsi (aka Top-Notch) – MC
- Mikael Fernström – Multi-media artist
- Des Donnelly (aka Drax) – Poet
- Seamus Doyle – Musician
- Shane O’Shea (aka Naphta) – DJ/Producer
- Diarmuid Slattery (aka Diarmo) – DJ/Producer/Musician
- Graham Montgomery – Musician
- Daragh McCarthy – Filmmaker
- Kevin Barrington – Poet
- Joe McGill – Painter, sculptor and poet
- Robbie Perry – Musician
- Hugh McFadden – Poet, literary critic and editor
- Catherine Ann Cullen – Poet
- Martin Naarendorp (aka Ras Tinny) – Deejay
- Leon Guilfoyle – Musician (Lluther)
- Hytham Martin – Musician (Lluther & Eyesclosed)
- Eoghan O’Neill [1] – Sculptor
- Eoghan O’Neill [2] – Musician (Early House)
- Kevin Rowsome – Musician
- Khaled Ajamia – Filmmaker
- Rónan Guilfoyle – Jazz musician/Composer
- Dylan Tighe – Musician, theatre director and writer
- Seán Murray – Filmmaker
- Brian Fleming – Musician
- Darragh Jáuregui-Hogan – Composer and musician
- Jim McKee – Artist, singer and songwriter
- Pa Curran – Singer/Songwriter
- Katie O’Kelly – Actor and playwright
- Keith O’Brien – Composer
- Benjamin Dwyer – Composer and guitarist
- Bernadette Hopkins – Artist
- Mary Costello – Writer
- Kimberly Campanello – Poet
- Vincent Doherty – Traditional singer and musician
- Jane Jermyn – Ceramic artist
- Karl Parkinson – Writer/Poet
- Colin Dunne – Dancer
- Anthony Jackson – Hip-Hop Artist
- Sebastian Clare – Writer and Voice Artist
- Kathryn Maguire – Artist
- Brian Kavanagh – Artist
- Mollie Barrow – Artist
- Liosa Ni Chiarain – Artist, Tatooist, Singer/Songwriter
- Tom J. Byrne – Artist
- Sue Cosgrave – Author and poet
- Philip Fogarty – Musician
- Anna Lardi – Musician
- John Nee (aka Little John Nee) – Writer/Performer
- Philip Casey – Poet, Novelist
- Edel Meade – Musician
- Honor Heffernan – Singer/Musician
- Edward Boyne – Poet
- Jürgen Simpson – Composer
- Jackie Askew – Visual artist
- Richard Geraghty – Filmmaker, photographer, musician
- Maeve McCarthy – Visual artist
- Katherine Duffy – Poet
- Harry Bradley – Traditional musician
- Peter Cummins – Musician (The Fleadh Cowboys)
- Sile Denvir – Musician
- Tiarnan O Duinnchinn – Traditional musician
- Siobhán Peoples – Traditional musician
- Katie Theasby – Singer
- Fiona O’Dwyer – Visual artist
- Fiona Kelleher – Musician
- Paul Bradley – Fiddle player
- John Carty – Musician
- Eimer Casey – Musician
- Ger Costelloe – Singer/Songwriter
- Kate Thompson – Author
- Leonard Barry – Musician
- Mick Blake – Singer/songwriter
- Liam P. Bradley – Musician
- Paddy Kerr – Musician
- Donogh Hennessy – Composer and performer
- Paula Leyden – Author
- Conor Caldwell – Musician
- Philip Crickard – Musician
- Noirin Lynch – Singer
- Ger Ryan – Actor
- Roisin Broderick – Musician
- Thierry Masure – Fiddle player
- Tara Baoth Mooney – Singer and musician
- Clodagh Downing – Actor
- Celine Kiernan – Author
- Melissa Joan Diem – Poet, writer and visual artist
- Denyse Woods – Novelist
- Colm Mac Con Iomaire – Ceoltóir / Musician
- Fionnbharr Ó Súilleabháin – Fine art photographer
- Eleanor Methven – Actor
- Eoghan McGrath – Visual artist
- Ian Lynch – Singer/musician (Lynched)
- Mael Coll Rua – Poet
- Guiseppe Torre – Digital artist
- Kinbria / Sorrellium – Musician, Recording artist, poet
- Paul Larkin – Film-maker and author
- Una Keane – Musician
- Kevin Liddy – Writer, director
- Mary Murphy – Author, illustrator
- Bairbre Flood – Musician (Yearning Curve)
- Lawrence O’Donnell – Musician (Yearning Curve)
- Laura Ann Brady – Musician
- Amanda Feery – Composer
- Jose Miguel Jimenez – Actor and theatre director
- Niamh McCann – Actor
- Rory Pierce – Composer, cellist
- Will Irvine – Actor
- Gina Moxley – Actor/writer/director
- Joanna Thompson – Artist
- Alan Holly – Animation filmmaker
- Jim Maginn – Photographer
- Steve O’Sullivan (AKA Evil Uncle) – Musician
- Tob Swift – Musician
- Ella Clarke – Dance artist
- Gary Lawlor – Musician (The Druids)
- Mick Dunne – Musician (The Druids)
- Mick O’Brien – Musician (The Druids)
- Paddy Mangan – Musician (The Druids)
- Noni Stapleton – Actor
- Dahí Jim – Singer/writer
- Dee Roycroft – Writer, actor
- Michael Coult – Traditional flute player
- Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin – Musician
- Mary Barnecutt – Musician/writer
- Paul Murnaghan – Visual artist
- Oonagh Kearney – Filmmaker and writer
- Rossa Mullin – Filmmaker
- Grace Weir – Visual Artist
- Joe Walker – Visual Artist
- Pat Walker – Visual Artist
- Tamara Him – Photographer
- Thomas Mallon – Musician (Astralnaut)
- Seoidin O’Sullivan – Artist
- Jessica Traynor – Poet
- Paul McCloskey – Visual artist
- Mel Healy – Novelist
- Brian Cross – Photographer/Film-maker
- Margo Harkin – Filmmaker
- Steve Wall – Musician
- Kevin Curran – Author
- Adrienne Geoghegan – visual artist/writer
- Sean O’Reilly – Writer
- Anamaria Crowe Serrano – Poet
- Doireann Ní Ghríofa – Poet/File
- Séighean Ó Draoi – Sculptor
- Patricio Casssinoni – Artist and photographer
- Afric McGlinchey – Poet
- Dave Fleming – Musician
- John Conneely – Musician
- Jessamine O’Connor – Poet
- Petr Pandula – Musician
- Lia Mills – Writer
- Ceara Conway – Visual artist
- Steve Hanks – Musician
- Christodoulos Makris – Poet
- Derbhle Crotty – Actor
- Margo Carr – Actor, comedian
- John Joyce – Musician
- Kathleen Joyce – Musician
- Aindrias Stack – Actor, musician, storyteller
- Robin Parmar – Sound artist and poet
- Carmel McCreagh – Singer/Writer
- Seamas Mac Annaidh – Scribhneoir (Writer)
- Allen Kiely – Photographer
- Cathal Synnott – Musician
- Ronit Lentin – Novelist
- Adrian Kenny – Writer
- Lou McMahon – Singer/Songwriter
- Aoife Scott – Singer
- Frances Black – Singer
- David Carmody – Musician
- Vanessa Gildea – Filmmaker
- Barbara O’Meara – Visual artist
- Daniel Doyle – Sculptor
- Pat Nolan – Actor
- Rory Tangney – Artist
- Mark O’Halloran – Actor
- John Buckley – Visual artist
- Gari Deegan – Singer/songwriter
- Izumi Kimura – Pianist
- Tim Wallace-Murphy – Author
- Raymond Beggan – Photographer, musician
- Pat Boran – Poet
- Michael Budd – Blacksmith and sculptor
- Bernard Clarke – Radiophonic artist
- Don Lydon – Musician
- Nicki Griffin – Writer
- Raymond Keane – Actor, writer, director
- Desmond Traynor – Writer, musician
- Van Poynton – Filmmaker
- Liam Cagney – Writer
- Elder Roche – Musician
- Cormac O’Leary – Visual artist
- Brian Hogan – Ceoltóir (Kíla)
- Colm Ó Snodaigh – Ceoltóir (Kíla)
- Tim Fleming – Cinematographe
- Gregory Daly – Musician
- Darragh Graham – Musician (Hermitage Green)
- Darragh Griffin – Musician (Hermitage Green)
- Dan Murphy – Musician (Hermitage Green)
- Barry Murphy – Musician (Hermitage Green)
- Dermot Sheedy – Musician (Hermitage Green)
- Ollie Plunkett – Musician (The Lost Messiahs)
- Ian Wilson – Composer
- Seán Hillen – Artist
- Wissam Abdel Samad – Photographer
- Mary Ryan – Actor, singer
- Krystyna Rawicz – Poet, artist
- Sueanne Moore – Artist
- Cian Finn – Singer/Songwriter
- Lorraine O’Brien – Musician
- Andrew Glenn – Artist
- Medbh Gillard – Artist
- Ciarán MacUilliam – Musician (Primordial)
- Michael O Floinn – Musician (Primordial)
- Simon O’Laoghaire – Musician (Primordial)
- Philip McFadden – Sculptor & artist
- Patrick Bradley – Painter & sculptor
- Audrey Doherty – Milliner and Raqs Sharqi artist (Eastern Dance
- Joe O’Byrne – Writer/director
- Sarah Hayden – Writer
- Daithi Brophy – Painter
- Mary Kelly – Visual artist
- Ronan Tully – Theatre artist
- Vincent Wood – Composer and musician
- Niall Vallely – Musician
- Karan Casey – Singer
- Dan Acheson – Musician (The Wood Burning Savages)
- Wally Cassidy – Photographer
- Fatin Al-Tamimi – Photographer
- Deirdre Mackel – Artist
- June Butler – Artist
- Paul Walls – Artist
- Carl Taylor – Artist
- Colm Keegan – Writer, poet
- Kathleen McCreery – Writer, actor, director
- Colin Stanley – Musician (Big Bag of Tricks / Queen Elvis)
- Johanne Webb – Actor, director
- Siobhán Peoples – Musician
- Paul Brady – Singer/songwriter
- Breandán Clarke – Visual artist
- Colin Darke – Visual artist
- Brian Brannigan – Singer/songwriter (A Lazarus Soul)
- Mary Coughlan – Singer
- Áilbhe Hines – Performance artist / Community arts activist
- John Dorman – Architect, artist
- Aodán McCardle – Poet / Performance artist
- Jenny Bassett – Drama and movement practitioner
- Jim Roche – Architect
- Micilín Mac An Rí – Musician (The Blaggards)
- Jesse Jones – Visual artist
- Elizabeth Clyne – Architect
- Fergal Gaynor – Writer
- Tom O’Dea – Artist
- Mark Price – Architect
- Peter Clyne – Filmmaker
- Conor O’Reilly – Composer & musician
- Roisín O’Donnell – Writer
- Mary Byrne – Architect
- Wissame Cherfi – Filmmaker
- Jackie McKenna – Sculptor
- Cora Venus Lunny – Musician
- David G. Buckley – Singer/Songwriter
- Martin Tourish – Musician/ Composer
- Ali Morrison – Musician
- Sokol Koka – Musician
- Declan McHale – Irish dancer
- Édaín Ní Dhomhnaill – Visual artist
- Sorcha Fox – Actor
- Ben Williams (Mark Benjamin Williams) – Musician
- Duncan Patterson – Musician
- Ray Murphy – Visual Artist
- Fiachra Trench – Composer
If you are an Irish artist or an artist based in Ireland and would like to add your signature, please contact culturalboycott [at] ipsc.ie
Statement by PACBI
Occupied Ramallah, August 5th, 2010
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) strongly welcomes the Irish artists’ ‘pledge’ to boycott Israeli cultural institutions until Israel complies with international law. This pledge not only represents a significant victory for the ethical responsibilities of international cultural figures; a key factor in the cultural boycott of Israel, but is a ground breaking strategy in supporting Palestinian struggle for freedom and justice.
In the last few years, many international cultural figures have come out in support of the cultural boycott of Israel. A statement authored by John Berger in support of the boycott gathered dozens of signatures, including some celebrities. [1] Montreal, Canada, witnessed a most impressive initiative in this respect, where 500 artists issued a statement this last February committing themselves to “fighting against [Israeli] apartheid” and calling upon “all artists and cultural producers across the country and around the world to adopt a similar position in this global struggle” for Palestinian rights. [2] Yet, the Irish artists have raised the bar of solidarity by pioneering the first nation-wide cultural stance in support of the boycott of Israel.
Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid cultural boycott, the Palestinian academic and cultural boycott call [3] has relied entirely on moral pressure, appealing to the conscience of the artists in question as well as their fans. The main rationale behind this call is that performing in a state that practices occupation, colonization and apartheid, as Israel does, cannot be regarded as a purely artistic act, if any such act exists. Regardless of intentions, such an act is a conscious form of complicity that is manipulated by Israel in its frantic efforts to whitewash its persistent violations of international law and Palestinian rights. This is because artistic performances in Israel promote a “business as usual” attitude that normalizes and sanitizes a state that has persistently committed war crimes over several decades — in Gaza, Jerusalem, the Naqab (Negev), and most recently, in the high seas against international humanitarian relief workers aboard the Freedom Flotilla.
An artist who performs in Israel today — just like any artist who violated the boycott and performed in Sun City, South Africa, during apartheid — can only be seen by Palestinians and people of conscience around the world as motivated by profit and personal gain far more than by moral principles. We realize that Israeli concert promoters offer large sums of money to lure international performers as part of the Foreign Ministry-run “Brand Israel”[4] campaign, designed explicitly to hide Israel’s criminal violations of human rights under a guise of artistic and scientific glamour and a deceptive image of cultural excellence and “liberalism.” But we hope artists will resist the temptation and assert the primacy of human rights and justice over financial reward. Within this context, the main impact of the boycott at this stage is to expose Israel as a pariah, to increase its isolation, thus raising the price of its injustices against the Palestinian people and challenging international complicity in perpetuating its occupation and apartheid.
The Palestinian academic and cultural boycott movement has not witnessed a sustained surge in cultural boycott of Israel such as has occurred in the last year and a half, since the Israeli war of aggression on Gaza. Today, major performing artists are cancelling concerts in Israel and world bestselling authors are endorsing BDS. [5] With this growth, the movement is showing more signs of its potential to transform international opinion in much the way that the divestment movement isolated the South African apartheid regime. In 1965, the American Committee on Africa, following the lead of prominent British arts associations, sponsored a historic declaration against South African apartheid, signed by more than 60 cultural personalities. It read: “We say no to apartheid. We take this pledge in solemn resolve to refuse any encouragement of, or indeed, any professional association with the present Republic of South Africa, this until the day when all its people shall equally enjoy the educational and cultural advantages of that rich and beautiful land.” [6] A year before that, in 1964, the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement promoted a declaration signed by 28 Irish playwrights that they would not permit their work to be performed before segregated audiences in South Africa. [7] Today, Irish and Canadian artists have opened up the way for achieving the same level of commitment from international artists in isolating apartheid Israel.
The great majority of Palestinian cultural figures stand solidly behind the call for a cultural boycott of Israel, [8] as do all the main cultural institutions and associations. Palestinian artists often express the commonly held view that world artists have a moral obligation to uphold universal principles of human rights and justice in order to help end this multi-tiered oppression against the Palestinians. Irish artists have today taken a historic step in enhancing the movement that would exert effective pressure on Israel and bring about freedom and just peace. For that, we salute these principled and ethically responsible Irish artists.
PACBI
Notes:
[1] http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=415
[2] http://www.tadamon.ca/post/5824
[3] http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=869
[4] http://www.israel21c.org/opinion/jewish-week-marketing-a-new-image
[5] http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=1291
[6] http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/MayJune08/positions.cfm
[7] http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/boycotts/cultural.html