[spectre] Call

[ali ehsan]

Palestinian Filmmakers, Artists and Cultural Workers
Call for a Cultural 
Boycott of Israel 
 

August 1, 2006 
 

Dear Filmmakers & Artists, 
 

During the past few weeks we have borne witness to the
escalation of Israeli aggression into open war on both
Palestine and Lebanon. 
 
With Israel’s invasion of Gaza on June 27th, 2006,
ministries and 
educational institutions have been destroyed, as has
the plant that supplies nearly 50 percent of Gaza's
electricity. Bridges, roads, dozens of homes, and
hundreds of dunams of agricultural land have also been
destroyed. 

Sixty-four elected Palestinian legislators, cabinet
ministers and officials 
have been detained without charge. 
 

On July 12th, Israel brought its campaign of
collective punishment and 
military violence to Lebanon, with "Operation Just
Reward". A complete 
assault, via land, sea, and air, of the Lebanese
population and infrastructure has led to total
destruction. In just 3 weeks, almost 1 
million Lebanese civilians have been displaced and the
death toll has 

reached 900 Lebanese and 160 Palestinians, with a UN
count saying one-third of the dead are children. 
 
Additionally, in violation of international law,
Israel continues to occupy 
Gaza, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), and
Syria’s Golan Heights. In violation of the Fourth
Geneva Convention, Israel continues to hold 9,600
Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails and
detention centers without due process, among them 130
Palestinian women and 388 children, many of them taken
from their homes in the middle of the night. 
 

We, the UNDERSIGNED Palestinian filmmakers and
artists, appeal to all 
artists and filmmakers of good conscience around the
world to cancel all exhibitions and other cultural
events that are scheduled to occur in Israel, to
mobilize immediately and not allow the continuation of
the Israeli offensive to breed complacency. Like the
boycott of South African art institutions during
apartheid, cultural workers must speak out against the
current Israeli war crimes and atrocities. 

We call upon the International community to join us in
the boycott of 
Israeli film festivals, Israeli public venues, and
Israeli institutions 
supported by the government, and to end all
cooperation with these cultural and artistic
institutions that to date have refused to take a stand
against the Occupation, the root cause for this
colonial conflict. 

We call upon you to take a stand in order to appeal to
the Israeli people to give up their silence, to
abandon their apathy, and to face up to their
responsibility in the destruction and killing their
elected government is wreaking. To the Lebanese and
Palestinians terrorized by this Army's planes, bombs
and missiles, this silence, apathy and lack of action
from Israelis, are regarded as complicit in the
ongoing war crimes, as for those Israeli artists,
academics and intellectuals who continue to serve in
the Israeli army they are directly implicated in these
crimes. 
 
We call upon you to give way to action that would
replace words spoken too often and forgotten too
quickly. We call upon you to make your voices heard in
calling for an end to this bloodshed and an end to
this oppression that has lasted too long. 
 

To endorse or answer this call for a cultural boycott
of Israel please send an email with your name,
position and country to pal.filmmakers at gmail.com 

Signatures (Alphabetical) 

1. Adila Laidi, Lecturer 

2. Anan Brakat, Filmmaker, Arab Cinema School 

3. Annemarie Jacir, Filmmaker 

4. Azza El-Hassan, Filmmaker 

5. Bahia Munem, Filmmaker 

6. Dahna Abourahme, Filmmaker 

7. Dima Abu Ghoush, Filmmaker 

8. EMILY JACIR, Artist 

9. Enas Muthaffar, Filmmaker 

10. Faten Farhat, Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center 

11. Ghada Terawi, Filmmaker 

12. Hanna Atallah, Filmmaker 

13. Hanna Elias, Filmmaker 

14. Hany Abu-Assad, Filmmaker 

15. Haya Al-Jareedy, Filmmaker 

16. Hayan Charara, Writer 

17. Hazim Bitar, Filmmaker 

18. Iman Aoun, Ishtar Theatre 

19. Iman Hammouri, Popular Art Centre 

20. John Halaka, Artist 

21. Juliano Mer Khamis, Actor & Director 

22. Kais Al-Zubaidi, Filmmaker 

23. Kamal Boullata, Artist 

24. Karma Abu-Sharif, Writer 

25. Khadijeh.H.Abu-Ali, Filmmaker 

26. Khaled Jubran, Musician 

27. Larissa Sansour, Artist 

28. Leila Sansour, Filmmaker 

29. Liana Saleh, Filmmaker 

30. Lina Bokhary, Artist 

31. Mahmoud Massad, Filmmaker 

32. Mai Masri, Filmmaker 

33. Mazen Saade, Filmmaker & Writer 

34. Michel Khleifi, Filmmaker 

35. Miguel Littin, Filmmaker 

36. Nabila Irshaid, Artist 

37. Nahed Awwad, Filmmaker 

38. Najwa Najjar, Filmmaker 

39. Nizar Hassan, Filmmaker 

40. Omar Barghouti, Dance choreographer 

41. Omar Qattan, Filmmaker 

42. Osama Al-Zain, Filmmaker 

43. Rana Bishara, Artist 

44. Rania Elias- Khoury, Yabous Productions 

45. Rashid Masharawi, Filmmaker 

46. REEM FADDA, Palestinian Association of
Contemporary Art 

47. Riyad Deis, Filmmaker 

48. Rowan Al Faqih, Filmmaker 

49. Saed Andoni, Filmmaker 

50. Saleh Bakri, Actor 

51. Salim Abu Jabal, Writer 

52. Salwa Mikdadi, Curator 

53. Samia A. Halaby, Artist 

54. Sobhi al-Zobaidi, Filmmaker 

55. Suleiman Mansour, Artist 

56. Suzy Salamy, Filmmaker 

57. Taghreed Mishael, Filmmaker 

58. Ula Tabari, Filmmaker 

59. Vera Tamari, Artist 

60. Wafa Jamil, Filmmaker 



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