Ruhrtriennale: Boycott of boycott from boycott

One understands why many Jews in Germany feel very left alone: the dispute over BDS-close musicians and anti-Semitism shakes the Ruhrtriennale.

Ruhrtriennale: Boycott of boycott from boycott
Content
  • Page 1 — boycott from boycott
  • Page 2 — it's not about freedom of expression
  • Read on a page

    One has to let campaign strategists of Israeli-hostile organization BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions): They have managed to polarize liberal cultural public in Germany within a very short time. They have successfully contributed to irreconcilable hatred that characterizes radical actors of Middle East conflict in a scene that has so far been valiantly striving for intertwining of cultures. They have sown discord and confusion.

    On Thursday, director of Ruhrtriennale, Stefanie Carp, announced that she is now inviting British hip-hop trio Young Fars to ir festival – to let m know shortly afterwards that group will not perceive invitation. The musicians from Edinburgh had already been on program, but were n unloaded again. Some journalists had pointed out carp to a circumstance that could have been known to her, even occasionally reading serial: that Young fars belong to supporters of BDS and last year Involved in boycott of Berlin pop culture festival. Here, among or things, Arab alongside Israeli artists should occur; Among m was Israeli singer Riff Cohen, whose appearance was supported by Embassy of her home country with a travel allowance.

    As a result, BDS organization, which is committed to full cultural and economic boycott of state of Israel, supported, among or things, by Islamist terrorist organization Hamas, relaunched a campaign against festival. Almost all invited musicians were personally addressed, and among or things, disinformation that state of Israel had exerted influence on pop culture programme was put under pressure. All Arab artists n said y would attend. Last but not least, y had to fear that y would no longer be able to appear in ir home countries if y resisted boycott call of powerful organization.

    The Young fars do not need to have such fears, but y decided to boycott festival. No significant consequences or even a major counter-boycott have arisen for m. Some German organizers now refuse to let m appear in ir clubs or at ir festivals, ors jumped in for it – that's all.

    Devastating process

    But n came Ruhrtriennale. On August 18th band should play a concert here. On or hand, when program was announced, protest was stirred – after all, Ruhrtriennale is not a small, privately funded club, but a state-sponsored representation festival, which in itself also has a particular sensibility in Political reflection of aestic phenomena. How does this fit in with invitation of a group that supports a campaign that in principle denies Israel's right to exist and which – even if not all its supporters are refore necessary anti-Semites – at least with antisemitic Groups?

    This can be asked, and this could be demanded from director of festival – it should have thought something about it, to invite this band with this political stance. However, Stefanie Carp did not get an opinion, but initially asked group to distance itself from BDS, and when it refused, which was to be expected, it said performance.

    In a press release of June 13, it was said: "Unfortunately, young fars did not distance mselves from BDS. We do not infer from this that band is anti-Semitic, and it is important to me in this context to stress that criticism of current Israeli Government's policy is not per se equated with anti-Semitism. The Ruhrtriennale dissociates itself in all form from BDS movement and does not want to be in any connection with campaign. That's why we decided to make concert fail. We regret this extraordinarily because young fars had set an important accent in Ruhrtriennale programme. "

    However, this did not sound as if it were itself behind this decision, but rar as if it had been taken on external pressure. At any rate, young fars had a good opportunity to portray mselves as victims of censorship: In an opinion published on Artists for Palestine website, y lamented "false and unfair" treatment by Ruhrtriennale; They wanted to force m to distance mselves from ir "human rights principles".

    Date Of Update: 23 June 2018, 12:02
    NEXT NEWS