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Cinemas should not host London Israeli Film and Television Festival Cinemas should not host London Israeli Film and Television Festival
(about 17 hours later)
We, the below listed artists, producers, and concerned citizens, are disappointed and saddened to see that Curzon, Odeon, Bafta and other cinemas are hosting the London Israeli Film and Television Festival.We, the below listed artists, producers, and concerned citizens, are disappointed and saddened to see that Curzon, Odeon, Bafta and other cinemas are hosting the London Israeli Film and Television Festival.
This comes at a time when the global boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel is gaining unprecedented momentum, and the Israeli government is finding itself increasingly isolated for its systematic violation of Palestinian human rights, the Geneva conventions, and international law. The Israeli state is promoting this festival and supporting it financially. By hosting it, these cinemas are ignoring the 2004 call by Palestinian civil society for sanctions against Israel until Israel abides by international law and ends its illegal displacement of Palestinians, discrimination against them, and occupation of their land.This comes at a time when the global boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel is gaining unprecedented momentum, and the Israeli government is finding itself increasingly isolated for its systematic violation of Palestinian human rights, the Geneva conventions, and international law. The Israeli state is promoting this festival and supporting it financially. By hosting it, these cinemas are ignoring the 2004 call by Palestinian civil society for sanctions against Israel until Israel abides by international law and ends its illegal displacement of Palestinians, discrimination against them, and occupation of their land.
Related: Film-makers ask cinemas and Bafta to boycott London Israeli film festival
This festival comes in the aftermath of the wanton destruction and killing in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military in 2014, and the re-election of an Israeli prime minister who denies Palestinians their equal rights and self-determination.This festival comes in the aftermath of the wanton destruction and killing in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military in 2014, and the re-election of an Israeli prime minister who denies Palestinians their equal rights and self-determination.
The festival is co-sponsored by the Israeli government via the Israeli embassy in London, creating a direct link between these cinemas, the festival screenings and Israeli policies. By benefiting from money from the Israeli state, the cinemas become silent accomplices to the violence inflicted on the Palestinian people. Such collaboration and cooperation is unacceptable. It normalises, even if unintentionally, the Israeli government’s violent, systematic and illegal oppression of the Palestinians.The festival is co-sponsored by the Israeli government via the Israeli embassy in London, creating a direct link between these cinemas, the festival screenings and Israeli policies. By benefiting from money from the Israeli state, the cinemas become silent accomplices to the violence inflicted on the Palestinian people. Such collaboration and cooperation is unacceptable. It normalises, even if unintentionally, the Israeli government’s violent, systematic and illegal oppression of the Palestinians.
This is not a request to refuse to show films by individual film-makers, but to reject the involvement and financial support of the Israeli state. We call on these cinemas to stand with the oppressed Palestinian people and to take no part in presenting the festival.This is not a request to refuse to show films by individual film-makers, but to reject the involvement and financial support of the Israeli state. We call on these cinemas to stand with the oppressed Palestinian people and to take no part in presenting the festival.
Saleh Bakri Actor Leah Borromeo Film-maker John Brissenden University lecturer Luke Bryant Cinematographer Brad Butler Artist Sophie Carapetian Artist Taghrid Choucair-Vizoso Performer Tania El Khoury Artist Gareth Evans Curator Jordan Flaherty Director Mahdi Fleifel Film-maker Ramzi Haddad Producer Umama Hamido Artist Doug Holton Theatre maker Annemarie Jacir Director Ewa Jasiewicz Producer Aki Kaurismäki Director Sharon Kivland Artist, educator Paul Laverty Screenwriter Mike Leigh Director Ken Loach Director Miriam Margolyes Actress Serenella Martufi Artist Karen Mizra Film-maker Jenny Morgan Documentary film-maker Mira Nair Director Rebecca O’Brien Producer Monika Pampus Teacher Miranda Pennell Film-maker Agueda Perucho Film editor Sebastian Rex Writer Abir Saksouk Architect Petra Serhal Artist Souheil Sleiman Sculptor Stanley Schtinter Film-maker Hind Shoufani Director John Smith Film-maker Paul Stroud Composer Laura Whitticase Arts planner Saleh Bakri ActorFrank Barat ActivistLeah Borromeo Film-makerJohn Brissenden University lecturerLuke Bryant CinematographerBrad Butler ArtistSophie Carapetian ArtistTaghrid Choucair-Vizoso PerformerTania El Khoury ArtistGareth Evans CuratorJordan Flaherty DirectorMahdi Fleifel Film-makerRamzi Haddad ProducerUmama Hamido ArtistDoug Holton Theatre makerAnnemarie Jacir DirectorEwa Jasiewicz ProducerAki Kaurismäki DirectorSharon Kivland Artist, educatorPeter Kosminsky DirectorPaul Laverty ScreenwriterMike Leigh DirectorKen Loach DirectorMiriam Margolyes ActressSerenella Martufi ArtistKaren Mizra Film-makerJenny Morgan Documentary film-makerMira Nair DirectorRebecca O’Brien ProducerMonika Pampus TeacherMiranda Pennell Film-makerAgueda Perucho Film editorJohn Pilger Film-makerSebastian Rex WriterAbir Saksouk ArchitectPetra Serhal ArtistSouheil Sleiman SculptorStanley Schtinter Film-makerHind Shoufani DirectorJohn Smith Film-makerPaul Stroud Composer
• This letter was amended on 9 June 2015 to remove the name of one signatory that was included in error, and to add three others that were omitted in error.