More than a thousand artists from Ireland have signed a pledge to boycott the Israeli occupation state culturally. The campaign began at the initiative of the IPSC ten years ago, which is a significant step in supporting The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, led by Palestinian civil society.
The campaign was launched by the famous Irish composer Raymond Dean, one of the founders of IPSC, and signed by 150 artists at the time, in response to the Palestinian civil society´s call for a boycott of Israel in the cultural aspect, and similar to the successful cultural boycott of the apartheid regime in South Africa.
This document obliges the signatories to refuse to carry out any activities in Israel and any joint cultural activities, or even to accept any funding for any cultural offer by Israeli institutions.
These artists include: Stephen Rea, Sinead Cusack, Don Lonnie, Andy Irvine, Damian Dempsey, Sharon Shannon, Robert Balagh, Mary Black, and Kyla, joined by new artists such as: Sisterix, CMAT, Kneecap, TPM, Steo Wall, Oein DeBhairduin, and Oein DeBhairduin. El Cherif, as well as notables such as Eugene O´Hare, Kevin Barry, Joe Rooney and Paul Duane.
Zoe Lawlor, cultural relations coordinator at IPSC, said: “We are very proud that so many artists have signed our document, and we consider the number of more than 1,000 artists a milestone in the extent of the Irish people´s solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality. The Palestinian people are ending their seventy-third year of expulsion, ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and forced exile, and because Western governments fail to punish Israel, they need the solidarity of conscientious people of the world´s free, and this cultural pledge plays a major role in that.
And Llor continued: "Despite the difficult conditions Irish artists have faced this year due to Corona (closures and stoppage of their activities), their support and sympathy for our just cause is constantly increasing, and this is very touching and encouraging."
Among the 1,034 signatories to date are actors, writers, poets, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, dancers, architects, composers, designers, musicians and more, including many members of the state-sponsored Irish Artists Academy. Irish artistic personalities range from the most internationally recognized to the new artists. .
This Irish document is the first cultural boycott of the occupying power to be organized at the international level, and it was followed by similar successful initiatives in Switzerland, South Africa, Britain and elsewhere.
In turn, IPSC Chairwoman Faten Al-Tamimi said: “We consider this a new achievement to be added to the achievements of our foundation in favor of our just cause. While the Palestinians feel isolated due to the challenges of the“ Covid-19 ”epidemic, the oppressive and exacerbating Israeli apartheid regime, and the abandonment and Arab normalization, the fact is that More than a thousand artists in Ireland are ready to show solidarity with our struggle through the cultural boycott and the refusal to help the occupying power polish or justify the existence of its racist colonial regime in Palestine is a glimmer of great hope, and it makes me very proud that I live in my second country (Ireland). "
Al-Tamimi added: “I thank all the signatories, in turn, and I ask every Irish artist who has not yet signed our participation and pledge to boycott the occupation state, and reject all forms of normalization with it, in order to achieve freedom, justice and equality in Palestine, leading to the right to self-determination for all the Palestinian people in the homeland and diaspora. The campaign continues until Israel complies with international law and universal human rights principles. "
