Israel threatens to cut theaters’ fund over settlement boycott

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting that the “state of Israel is subject to a de-legitimization attack on the part of different elements in the international arena, including attempts to launch academic and economic boycotts. The last thing we need now is attempted boycotts from within.

But how does one that is already illegitimate be subjected to 'de-legitimization'? Don't you have to start all over again and go back into the womb and get created as legitimate?

By MOHAMMED MAR'I | ARAB NEWS

Published: Aug 30, 2010 01:07 Updated: Aug 30, 2010 01:07

RAMALLAH: The Israeli government has threatened on Sunday to cut funds from Israeli theaters if their actors refuse to perform in West Bank Jewish settlements.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting that the “state of Israel is subject to a de-legitimization attack on the part of different elements in the international arena, including attempts to launch academic and economic boycotts. The last thing we need now is attempted boycotts from within.

"I don't want to reject every artist's right to a political opinion, but we as a government should not fund boycotts against Israel's citizens. I was happy to hear from the culture minister that other artists announced they would perform as planned. That's the right approach."

On Friday, 53 Israeli theater professionals, including performers, playwrights and directors, signed a petition stating they would not appear in the West Bank settlement Ariel, as working there would be "against their consciences" and sent it to the directors-general of Israeli theaters.

Signatories included prominent members of the Israeli theater community, including Yehoshua Sobol, Yossi Pollak, Yousef Sweid, Anat Gov and Savyon Liebrecht. Veteran Israeli actress and Israel Prize winner Gila Almagor did not sign the petition, but said she would oppose performing in Ariel.

The signatories wrote the petition in response to reports in the Israeli daily Haaretz that a 40 million Israeli shekel ($10.5 million) cultural center was slated to open in Ariel in November.

The newspaper also reported that several of Israel's leading theater companies, including the Habima National Theater, the Cameri Theater, the Be'er Sheva Theater and Jerusalem's Khan Theater, were planning to perform at the new cultural center in Ariel, which is home to around 17,000 occupiers.

Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said funding should be withdrawn from theaters that refuse to perform in Ariel, adding that the government wanted the settlement to remain part of Israel in any future peace agreement with the Palestinians.

"The state of Israel invests a lot of money in theaters. The taxes helping those theaters exist are paid by Ariel's residents as well, and those who are sabotaging this should not be employed in Israel," he said.

Steinitz slammed the actors who signed the letter, saying it was "unthinkable that Mr. Artist received money from the state to establish a theater, and then says, 'I'll perform in Tel Aviv, but won't perform in Ariel and other places.’"

Israeli Knesset members of rightist parties, including the ruling party of Likud, said that they would sponsor a bill canceling government funding of theaters allowing performances by actors who participate in the boycott.

The council of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories (Yesha) issued a statement saying: "Our response to the letter signed by the army evaders and anti-Zionist left-wing activists will be very harsh." It called on theater managements to act decisively.

Yosef Mor Yosef, chairman of the student union in Ariel University, said that "actors and artists should perform anywhere, to any audience, with no distinction of religion, race, sex or political view."

He added that the actors "are hurting us as young people seeking access to Israeli culture." He also said that the union would consider boycotting the artists who signed the letter.

http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article118982.ece