60 of Israel’s most prominent actors, writers, and directors, from the country’s five leading theatres, have signed a petition saying they will not perform at the new cultural center of the West Bank settlement Ariel.
“We want to express our dismay with the intention of the theatres’ managements to perform in the new auditorium in Ariel and hereby declare that we will refuse to perform in the city, as in any other settlement,” the petition reads. Signers agree that Israel’s theatre companies should “pursue their prolific activity inside the sovereign territory of the state of Israel within the boundaries of the Green Line”.
Artists that have signed the petition include Yehoshua Sobol, Yossi Pollak, Yousef Sweid, Anat Gov and Savyon Liebrecht.
"Ariel is in occupied territory and no Israeli artist should have to take part in a production in occupied territory, not in Ariel nor in any other settlement when it is against international law," said Sobol, a renowned playwright and satirist, on Israeli public radio.
“Theater is not an army, actors are not soldiers, and artists who boycott performances are not draft dodgers. The few dozen theater figures who have signed the statement saying they will boycott Ariel are people of conscience who deserve praise,” wrote Haaretz’s Gideon Levy.
The petition has been met with much criticism within the Israeli government.
"Culture is a bridge in society, and political disputes should be left outside cultural life and art," said Culture and Sport Minister Limor Livnat. "I call for the scheduled performances to be carried out as scheduled in Ariel and all over the country, as each citizen has the right to consume culture anywhere he chooses."
The theaters announced over the weekend that the productions will continue as planned, starting on 8 November with this cultural center’s official opening. The project, which has take years to complete due to repeated funding shortages, will cost a total of NIS 40 million and will seat 540.
Veteran Israeli actress and Israel Prize winner Gila Almagor did not sign the petition, but said she would oppose performing in Ariel, reported the Israeli news daily Haaretz.
"I always opposed the occupation, and opposed appearing in areas beyond the Green Line. I won't go to places that are contrary to my worldview,” Almagor said.
“We actors have discussed [this] among ourselves for several days. Behind every name [on the petition], there is a worldview and this needs to be respected. I wouldn't ask a religious actor to act on Shabbat. The theater needs to be considerate. Because everyone has an understudy, we have to speak with the management of the theaters to excuse actors who don't want [to participate]," she added.
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz is taking a firm stance on what government officials view as a boycott from within, saying the government should withdraw funding from theatres which refuse to perform in Ariel.
"The State of Israel invests a lot of money in theatres. The taxes helping those theatres exist are paid by Ariel's residents as well, and those who are sabotaging this should not be employed in Israel,” Steinitz said.
"The State of Israel is facing a delegitimization campaign from different sources across the globe, including attempts to implement economic, academic and cultural boycotts,” announced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a cabinet meeting before his trip to the United States. “The last thing we need is a boycott attempt from within Israel. I do not wish to infringe upon the right of every artist to express his own opinion, but we do not need to fund boycotts and support them in any way."
Settlements will be a key talking point during Mr. Netanyahu’s Washington visit, as Palestinian and Israeli negotiators prepare for peace talks. Netanyahu has stated that he will not continue the settlement freeze, which expires in September.
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