We are witnessing, and part of, a tremendous moment in Palestinian solidarity politics. In so-called Australia, a boycott of the Sydney Festival has been called by Palestinians, in response to the Festival seeking out a $20,000 donation from the Israeli Embassy. This donation is part of an Israeli program of propaganda, wherein they seek to ‘artwash’: to use art as a tool to distract from Israeli violence and oppressive treatment of Palestinians.
But, following the lead of Palestinian organisers, we know that we cannot allow this artwashing to work as intended. Rather than staying silent we want to say loudly: Israeli apartheid, settler-colonialism, and occupation cannot be allowed to continue. And neither can Israel’s international program of propaganda that seeks to absolve it of any form of accountability.
We Jews are eager, honoured, and humbled to stand alongside our Palestinian siblings and echo their calls. We refuse to be complicit in Israel’s actions. We stand in solidarity with Palestine and Palestinians.
Israel engages in daily violence. From the violence of the military courts, checkpoints, settlements, murders, land theft and daily harassment of Palestinian communities in the West Bank; to the siege on Gaza and airstrikes; to the attacks on Al Quds (East Jerusalem) in May 2021 (at the same time as the Sydney Festival was soliciting this funding), the destruction of Palestinian archives and cultural institutions, and the differential treatment of Palestinians and Jews throughout ‘48, the violence is ongoing and it is gut-wrenching. We must confront the ways in which by remaining silent or neutral on this matter we are complicit in the enabling of this injustice.
Boycotts are a non-violent and effective tool for exposing these kinds of injustices and helping us take a stand against it. Solidarity works. Countering colonialism – wherever and whenever it occurs – works. We are dedicated to working alongside Indigenous people everywhere, to amplifying their voices and knowledge in the fight against colonialism.
From the settler-colony of Australia to the settler-colony of Israel and everywhere in between, we call for justice and freedom. We call on the Sydney Festival to reject this funding. We call on people everywhere to take a stand in solidarity and refuse to be part of Israel’s program of hasbara: of propaganda, deliberate lies, mistruths and obfuscations.
Instead, we can together be part of creating networks of solidarity and resistance, of radical love and care, outside of the systems that colonialism tries to maintain. But they will always fail, because we will always find each other.
“You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”
Pirkei Avot, 2:21
The undersigned,
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Individuals
Sara Dowse
Jordy Silverstein
Max Kaiser
Vivienne Porzsolt
Elsa Tuet-Rosenberg
Nevo Zisin
Ben Silverstein
Eli Caon
Alana Lentin
Ali Nissenbaum
Greg Sher
Max Bledstein
Yaelle Caspi
Kea cranko
Rebecca Hynek
Laurie Izaks MacSween
Marc Mierowsky
Chaya Kasif
Ron Witton
Peter Slezak
Naama Carlin
Haskell Musry
Sivan Barak
Hayim Dar
Roz Bellamy
Joan Nestle
Francis Markham
Asher Wolf
Lola Fearn
Marika Sosnowski
Jordan Molot
Jaslyn Robertson
Tamar Foreman
Daniel Cherny
Bobby Bryx
Sam Garamy
Alice Byron
Alex
Keren Rubinstein
Shiffi Blustein
Hannah Barcan
Barbara Bloch
Louis Schetzer
Ruth Hannah
Morgan Platt
Ian Lisser
AJ Lent
Rachel Santiago
Zev Aviv
Michal Kedem
Alex Gawronski
David Glanz
Sarah
Melanie Lazarow
Sam Altman
Deborah Rosenberg
Mary Jekki
Sorcha Conlan
Judith P
Steven Helfenbaum
Jamie Reynolds
Mhoram Kylare
Cathy Peters
Jenny Burton
Noah Wellington
Sue Leigh
Nellie Goldflam
John-Janusz Ebel
Stephen Langford
Esther Singer
Sylvie Leber
Jessica Friedmann
Savannah Daoud-opit
Nicole Davydova
Taylor Mark
Rachel D
Gabrielle
Benjamin Cebon
Nicole Erlich
Melas K
Alex Nissen
Persefoni Thliveris
David McHugh
Suzi Rosedale
Gabi Duigu
Grace Lyon
Marti Kaiser
Nadine von Cohen
David Fonteyn
Stu Carpenter
Michelle Anna Berkon
Jordanna Moroney
Dani
Simcha Cylich
Meredith Medway
Cassandra Polyak
Frances Yule
Goldie Greenwald
Danielle Roubin
Tamar Zloof
Rem Alqassem
Aaron Craine
Kay Bee
Ruby Rottenberg
Veronica Sherman
Trishima Mitra Kahn
Yvette Mystakas
Ella Haber
Rebecca Hynek
Sarah Schwartz
Anna Houston
Les Rosenblatt
Adam Haber
Simonne Goran
Ruben Rubens
Freda Guttman
Komal
Abbra Kotlarczyk
Camille Perry
Haskell Musry
Zayd Badwan
Jacob Hermant
Rina King
Mike Cushman
Asher Fairchild
Charles Kennedy
Simon Gilberg
Richard Kuper
Angie Mindel
Nick Georges
Mira Shlosberg
Elizabeth Morley
Jason Cohn
Marion Roberts
Leah Levane
Jad Al-Kurdi
Sandra Nadel
jason sank
Pete Glyde
Damiya Hayden
Gina
Maggie Korenblium
Felix King
Edward macdonald
Vivian Aguindis
Thomas Sigal
Bridget Brandolini
Maya Haddad
Niclas Witton
Tricia Kore
Renée Shalhoub
Joel Rapaport
Anna Tambour
Imogen Terry-Lancaster
Casey Chen
Ronen Skaletzky
Bailey Linton-Simpkins
Ethan
Lina
Menachem Golan
Helen Rosenberg
Sima sason
Naomi Benzer
Yusuf abd
ראובן קליין
Yuval Halperin
Carla Silbert
Sonya Goldberg
Tamar Yaron
Tony Booth
colan campbell
A Preston
Kimerlie Sattler
Chris proffitt
Adam Roon
Colin McKean
Darcy Moran
Lyn Dasey
Ben Etherington
Sylvie Leber
Jeremy Kerbel
Leonard Clarke
Netta Egoz
Rosie isaac
Ayan Shirwa
Adriana Gogolin
Guy Gillor
Alex Breskin
Joel Stern
Rachel Liebhaber
Malcolm Segall
Raphael Morris
David Samuel
Eyshe Beirich
Ruth Hannah
Matthew Elyanow
Mark Leaman
Nat S
Zacharias Szumer
Yael Leah
Daniel Bickle-Lazarow
mezzajo
Rachel Bryx
Han A.
Peter Esdaile
Erika Levy
Irma Trnka
Rivqa Rafael
Aviva Liora
Remy Cohen
Matthew Woliansky
Max Bursztynski
marion l singer
Ada Castle
Dani F
Anna Shalit
Amos Roberts
Evelyn P
Chuong Pham
Beth Klein
Franco Mele
Tigist yohannes
Robert Rands
Peter Hollo
Adam Calder
Isabelle Kluger
Mariam Alsiad
Greg Peak
Jessica Gould
David Abkiewicz
Gene De Boer
Michelle Cohn
Mika Benesh
Macklin Powell
Paul Reiner
Elizabeth Strakosch
Nancy Wechsler
Gaye Cucken
Lynne F. Keys
Adena Jacobs
Organisations
Loud Jew Collective
Jews Against Fascism
Hue
Jews against the Occupation Sydney
Tzedek Collective
Independent Australian Jewish Voices
Jewish Voice for Labour
Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods
JewsOfConscience
Do Better On Palestine 