Cinema Politica | Tadamon! coprésentation | photo Matthew Cassel Just Image
With the 29 September 2010 decision by the Senate of the University of Johannesburg “not to continue a long-standing relationship with Ben Gurion University (BGU) in Israel in its present form” and to set conditions “for the relationship to continue,” a new campaign for the academic boycott of Israel was born at the southern tip of the African continent.[1] Almost in tandem, on 11 October, at the northern tip of the European continent, a fresh academic and cultural boycott was announced in Oslo, endorsed by 100 leading Norwegian figures in the academy, culture and sports.[2]
Two weeks earlier, the European Platform for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (EPACBI) was established, after a successful meeting in Paris of 50 representatives of academic boycott campaigns from 9 European countries and a PACBI representative. The meeting was called at the initiative of the French campaign, AURDIP (Association des Universitaires pour le Respect du Droit International en Palestine), and BRICUP (British Committee for the Universities of Palestine).
Photo Noé Sardet. Detroit-based hip-hop artist Invincible performing in Montreal.
Hundreds gathered in Montreal for the fourteenth edition of Artists Against Apartheid occurring as part of the Quebec/Canada-wide conference on the growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement targeting the Israeli government. Artists Against Apartheid XIV was co-presented by Afro Latin Soul and featured Invincible from Detroit, members of Nomadic Massive performing along side with celebrated Cuban hip-hop ensemble Obsesión and a special appearance by Montreal Iraqi hip-hop artist The Narcicyst. Photographer / filmmaker Noé Sardet captured some images from the concert.
présentation du film H2Oil au Forum Mondial de l’Éducation via Cinema Politica
Ateliers pour la communauté artistique, se déroulant dans le cadre de la conférence Québec – Canada, portant sur le mouvement de Boycott, Désinvestissement et Sanctions (BDS)
“Before their eyes we turn into our homestead the land and villages in which they and their forefathers have lived…We are a generation of settlers, and without the steel helmet and gun barrel, we shall not be able to plant a tree or build a house.”
Moshe Dayan, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, speaking at the funeral of an Israeli farmer killed by a Palestinian in April 1956.
The public debate over the Israeli Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign was reignited recently with the news that the illegal West Bank colony of Ariel would soon be opening its newly-constructed, multi-million dollar cultural center and would host performances by several of Israel’s leading theater companies in its auditorium, built – tragically – by the very Palestinian construction workers that Israel has occupied and dispossessed. The announcement marked the first time these notable Israeli drama groups would be performing outside of the 1949 Armistice Line in Israeli-occupied Palestine.
Photo Palestinian woman flying flag at protest in West Bank.
On September 5, 2010 the Israel newspaper Haaretz published an article the headline of which read “Anti-Israel Economic Boycotts are Gaining Speed.” The subtitle went on to state that “the sums involved are not large, but their international significance is huge.” Actually, what seems to have triggered the piece was not international. Rather, it was the decision of a “few dozen theater people” to boycott “a new cultural center in Ariel,” an illegally settled town in the Occupied Territories. This action drew public support from 150 academics in Israel. The response from the Israeli right, which presently controls the government and much of Israel’s information environment, was loud and hateful.
The actors’ boycott of the new Ariel cultural center received a boost yesterday with over 150 academics and several dozen authors and artists signing letters in their support.
