whenever I think about BDS I can hear the words of human rights advocate and Nobel prize laurette Shirin Ebadi, regarding her own country Iran :
"I support sanctions, but sanctions to hurt the regime, not the people".
Now I am looking for ways to manifest my endorsement to the Palestinian call for BDS (boycott, diverstment, sanctions) against Israel.
The first thing I am thinking about is asking artists not to come not to come and perform in Apartheid Israel. Reason I am asking this is to help tear up the facade of normalization hung upon us. It is not normal for Palestinians living in the west bank to be seperated from their families in beseiged Gaza strip.
It is not a normal situation as milion of Palestinians in West Bank are being stripped of basic human rights, their lands confisticated, their minors illegaly arrested and interrogated without their parents, taken out of their beds in the dead night by gun-point,
it is not normal that when Israeli Jews arrested with Palestinians,
Israelis face civil court, while Palestinians are submitted to martial law.
West Bank Palestinians have no citizenships- their movement is restricted, & supposedly an artist I fancy will come and perform in Tel Aviv I would not be able to invite a friend from Ramallah to accompany me.
In order to adapt to this twisted reality we Israelis have adapted a mechanism of disacossiation- we disconnect ourselves from what happens only a few miles a way from us. This is an un-healthy situation, both for Israelis & Palestinians.
On behalf of what I see as the people's interest, it's crucial not to play along with the illusion of "normalization", of a normal state that its interior policy goes within global concesus,
not to allow the smiling face of apartheid provide cover to the real nature of occupation and colonization. I believe that artists, intellectuals can serve a role as embassadors of peace, a voice of conscience,
a mirror of society, if they choose to take their stand and use the influence they have on our minds and our hearts.
Artists that cancel their arrivals reflect the global reaction to the breaches of human rights & illegal actions taken by elected Israeli government.
They make us face the reality we have created with our own hands, and I think right now that is the first step towards change,
I believe that facing the reality,
as harsh as it is is a first step towards change.
I also believe that singing & playing,
enjoying fine arts while so close to us people are suffering is morally wrong.
If you ask me- why Israel?
Atrocities happen in many other places around the globe,
why not ban them as well?
Well, I think that in Israel such actions can make an impact.
Israel is a semi- western country, that cares a lot about her image.
Second of all,the call for BDS comes from Palestinians themselves,
as a mean of non-violent resistance against the occupation.
I think it is a productive action to take, be compelled in solidarity with
people who choose to take off the path of direct armed violence,
a path that the Israeli Government (Knesset) seem to endorse.
Third of all,this is the country that gives me citizenship, that I enjoy its privileges-
I might not have any influence about other places, but I'd like to think that
I can make my voice heard about what my own country is doing.
I myself have never been abroad and don't even own a passport-
so this mean of resistance may affect me as well-
I bare in mind that I might miss a concert of a favored artists,
or face angry responses,
might even lose a job opportunity in case any of my actions will promote divestment -
that makes me even more at peace-
I am making a decision may affect me as well- but it may also be for a greater good, and a resolution that I'll get to see with my own eyes.
"I support sanctions, but sanctions to hurt the regime, not the people".
Now I am looking for ways to manifest my endorsement to the Palestinian call for BDS (boycott, diverstment, sanctions) against Israel.
The first thing I am thinking about is asking artists not to come not to come and perform in Apartheid Israel. Reason I am asking this is to help tear up the facade of normalization hung upon us. It is not normal for Palestinians living in the west bank to be seperated from their families in beseiged Gaza strip.
It is not a normal situation as milion of Palestinians in West Bank are being stripped of basic human rights, their lands confisticated, their minors illegaly arrested and interrogated without their parents, taken out of their beds in the dead night by gun-point,
it is not normal that when Israeli Jews arrested with Palestinians,
Israelis face civil court, while Palestinians are submitted to martial law.
West Bank Palestinians have no citizenships- their movement is restricted, & supposedly an artist I fancy will come and perform in Tel Aviv I would not be able to invite a friend from Ramallah to accompany me.
In order to adapt to this twisted reality we Israelis have adapted a mechanism of disacossiation- we disconnect ourselves from what happens only a few miles a way from us. This is an un-healthy situation, both for Israelis & Palestinians.
On behalf of what I see as the people's interest, it's crucial not to play along with the illusion of "normalization", of a normal state that its interior policy goes within global concesus,
not to allow the smiling face of apartheid provide cover to the real nature of occupation and colonization. I believe that artists, intellectuals can serve a role as embassadors of peace, a voice of conscience,
a mirror of society, if they choose to take their stand and use the influence they have on our minds and our hearts.
Artists that cancel their arrivals reflect the global reaction to the breaches of human rights & illegal actions taken by elected Israeli government.
They make us face the reality we have created with our own hands, and I think right now that is the first step towards change,
I believe that facing the reality,
as harsh as it is is a first step towards change.
I also believe that singing & playing,
enjoying fine arts while so close to us people are suffering is morally wrong.
If you ask me- why Israel?
Atrocities happen in many other places around the globe,
why not ban them as well?
Well, I think that in Israel such actions can make an impact.
Israel is a semi- western country, that cares a lot about her image.
Second of all,the call for BDS comes from Palestinians themselves,
as a mean of non-violent resistance against the occupation.
I think it is a productive action to take, be compelled in solidarity with
people who choose to take off the path of direct armed violence,
a path that the Israeli Government (Knesset) seem to endorse.
Third of all,this is the country that gives me citizenship, that I enjoy its privileges-
I might not have any influence about other places, but I'd like to think that
I can make my voice heard about what my own country is doing.
I myself have never been abroad and don't even own a passport-
so this mean of resistance may affect me as well-
I bare in mind that I might miss a concert of a favored artists,
or face angry responses,
might even lose a job opportunity in case any of my actions will promote divestment -
that makes me even more at peace-
I am making a decision may affect me as well- but it may also be for a greater good, and a resolution that I'll get to see with my own eyes.
