These days, victories in the cultural boycott of Israel have been piling up and it’s easy to become blasé at what we’re achieving. But a new and important milestone has been reached in Ireland – yesterday was the day that cultural boycott moved from being a reactive to a pro-active campaign. Yesterday, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) in association with PACBI launched their cultural boycott pledge. Over 150 Irish artists signed the pledge which stated:
"In response to the call from Palestinian civil society for a cultural boycott of Israel, we pledge not to avail of any invitation to perform or exhibit in Israel, nor to accept any funding from any institution linked to the government of Israel, until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights."
Reports on the launch are here and (with photos) here. There’s the IPSC statement, with the list of artists who signed updated regularly, here. I’ve also blogged before on this, at the Jews Sans Frontieres site. In that blog I couldn’t contain my delight about the event. It was a celebration. A coming together of musicians and writers and artists and political activists. Many of the actions we do are grim and serious, focusing on massacres and injustice – it was lovely being at something so joy-filled and positive. The event was less about what we were against than what we were for – plain solidarity with Palestine.
There’s other reason for satisfaction. Partly it is the status of many of the artists. People like Donal Lunny, Damien Dempsey, Robert Ballagh, Seamus Deane, Sinead Cusack and so on – these are household names in Ireland. Getting respected well-established artists to sign this pledge is a real achievement. At the same time, as Raymond Deane, the man who organised the pledge, said, it was the less well-established artists who showed real courage in signing – these are people trying to make their careers and yet they still went out on a limb and signed the pledge. Political activists like myself often despair at artists not displaying in the real world the talents and yes, bravery that they show in their works. These artists did display this bravery – they gave me hope.
But there’s another even deeper reason for satisfaction – this pledge has moved the cultural boycott campaign onto a new level. PACBI were right when they labelled this a ‘ground-breaking initiative’. To date, most of our cultural boycott work has been reactive – desperately chasing after artists who have already agreed to play Israel and pleading with them to reconsider. This is often demeaning and depressing work – it feels like pleading with power. More importantly, it’s not that effective – performers that have already agreed to play in Israel are, let’s face it, the hardest group of artists to affect. It’s far far easier to reach artists before they’ve made that decision. This way the approach won’t be seen as threatening or disruptive to their lives. It’s a way of getting to artists before Israel does. This is what we mean by moving the boycott campaign from a reactive to a pro-active stance.
More, a pledge like this will affect all artists, including those that don’t sign. It makes the political nature of performing to Israel much more overt and creates a community of ethical artists, a concrete thing that artists who are considering breaking the boycott have to consciously reject – something they’d find difficult to do. Easier not to get involved in politics, not to go to Israel. The pledge then is a tool to ensure that boycotting Israel becomes the default position among performers and artists.
It was easier than we expected to get people to sign up (though it did still take a fair amount of work and planning), since we were asking them to do something positive and join a growing global movement. We want to get more Irish artists to sign this pledge, but more important than this, we’re trying to encourage other countries to adopt this tactic. Ireland is a small country and a pledge like this would have so much greater effect if signed by US artists.
The same pledge could happen in the US. While Americans mightn’t be able to get as many signatures proportionally as we did – 140 Irish signatures translates into some 10,000 US ones – even getting a tenth that number or even less - getting five hundred artists to sign this pledge would be a huge step. And once the pledge is there, others can sign up. It’s a process of building up solidarity.
There’s historical precedent for this. Omar Barghouti reminded us of it when we were working on the campaign. In 1964, 28 Irish playwrights pledged not to allow their work to be performed before segregated audiences in apartheid South Africa; a year later this action was followed by the first declaration of boycott from US artists. Hopefully we can ensure the same sequence of events again in this, the new anti-apartheid campaign.
David Landy is the national organiser of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campagin. He is a lecturer in the Department of Sociology in Trinity College Dublin, and currently writing a book on diaspora Jewish opposition to Israel.
I have written to Irish politicans who express similar wishes but somehow are hampered by collective EU policy. The Irish were one of the first countries to boycott South African goods. I hope that honourable tradition continues.
Is it true that, as Robert Fisk writes, Israel has become a de facto member of the EU? If so, how did it happen? Who approved it? Did it require unanimous consent by the members of the EU? Can a single member — like Ireland — reverse this?
Israel is in SO MANY euro this and euro that, including the gaudy Eurovision Song Contest (like israel is in europe to qualify for participation eh?! – but they swindled it, what else eh?).
What i think is more worisome actually is that israel is also a ‘defacto’ Nato member – so intwigned they are to American ‘global security issues and strategies’, that all our Nato decisions have to also be indirectly ‘approved’ by tel aviv.
And doesn’t the EU require of its members that they be subject to the European Convention on Human Rights and to the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg?
It’s great to see more peaceful nations standing up to the fight this tragedy, that the Palestinians have endured for decades, all the murder is very sad. Movements like this are contagious to others.
I could see the intensity in British Parliament after the Flotilla raid. Many of the liberal and conservative stood up to voice their anger and contempt at what had occurred.
It could have been a model example for the US Congress to watch in awe, as they were not muzzled by organizations telling them how to vote. I hope there’s a silver lining for this corrupt system we have come to accept as our representatives here in the US.
U2?
‘It was the less well-established artists who showed real courage in signing – these are people trying to make their careers and yet they still went out on a limb and signed the pledge.’
The ‘less well-established’ Irish artists indeed deserve praise for their courage, although it’s probably the overseas aspects of their careers being put at risk, more so than than the domestic ones.
Irish citizens seem to ‘own their own culture’ to a greater extent than Brits and Americans and Canadians, whose mainstream media lecture them about a fictitious national ‘love affair with Israel’ which leaves most people glancing around in befuddlement — What love affair? Where? Who the hell ARE these people, anyway?
I continue to be impressed by Ireland, both as a country and as a people.
Síocháin libh
(I hope I got that right).
Me too, like Avi – lovin’ the Irish (in all of us!) forever more.
Calling Bono. Bono? Is Bono out there?
Seems like Bono’s charitable efforts enact apartheid when it comes to the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.
Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for the Artists United Against Apartheid to reunite and do a sequel to “Sun City.” Calling Little Steven . . . Steven Van Zandt, can you hear us?
link to m.youtube.com
Bono already wrote a song about Lebanon: Cedars of Lebanon (beautiful bass line and melody but a little lyrically pretentious if you ask me).
So yeah Bono Bonzodogdoodah, when is your song ‘Wild Child of Gaza’ coming out? Need help writing it?
Bob Dylan (i know he’s not irish!) would be too cool for words if he would only sit down and pen something like: West Bank Ramble, Bulldozer Blues, Checkpoint Hustle, and of course the must-write masterpiece: My Wall Is Your Wall Too!
Just some bone ideas to throw at the hungry hapless artist-dawg out there.
You’d think with SO MUCH drama going on in the world, there’d be some kinda creative and prolific renaissance, n’est pas, non?
wow, looking at the full list of signatories puts a lump in my throat. what a beautiful act of solidarity. go ireland.
Donal Lunny – I knew him and his brother some twenty years ago and man are THEY an unbelieably brilliant clan!! Mindblowingly talented, funny, smart, warm and so very generous. Wonderful memories of Spittle and Dublin: aaahhhhhhh, Donal, dearest Donal and his beautiful brother Phelim.
It don’t surprise me at all that good-hearted Donal is top of the list.
o i have wild memories of dublin myself. those were the daze. nuthin i could or would capture in a post…. mixin up w/a whole slew of heavyweights over the course of a couple weeks kicked off at some castle concert n ending on a cottage in galway right on the rocks of the shore w/a bunch of people and little kids i’ll never forget.. did you know in ireland guinness is a meal? london doesn’t hold a candle to dublin for a good party. must be the irish.
Oh yeah rocking annie!
For sure guinness is MORE than just a meal: a friend of mine swears his grandfather, who was a doctor, prescribed it all the time to his sickly patients with proof-positive results. “Calms the nerves, gives a shot of iron straight to the heart and of course, will fill yer heart with song or two”, the Dr. was apparently fond of repeating!
London’s a pretty happening party place – better believe it! Different kinda party than Dublin – both super-cool cities.
thank you munro, i’m listening to eion on his myspace now (‘australian kiss’..splendid) next up..sami
There is a strong tradition among Irish artists of dealing with political issues, especially in music. It is truly amazing how the imagery from one conflict is mirrored in current conflict in Palestine.
link to youtube.com
Elvis Costello, real name Patrick Declan McManus, is probably the most famous artist in the World to decide to cancel concerts in Israel. His amazing song “Oliver’s Army” referencing Oliver Cromwell, is technically about the British Army, but with references to Ireland, Palestine and Johannesburg, the song has a global reach. Ever hear a pop song with so much political punch?
How can you not love the line “Have you got yourself an OCCUPATION?”
link to youtube.com
In Irish music, political music is often referred to as “rebel songs”. Sinead O’Connor threw the concept on its head in this song with the wonderful metaphor of national conflict as a relationship between lovers.
link to youtube.com
I believe the themes of this song can be interpreted as a poignant call to a one state solution in Palestine when people stop thinking in terms of nationalities in conflict, but human beings in a complicated relationship. I am particularly moved by the relevance of the line “How come you never said you’re sorry?”
As in personal relationships, the ability and willingness to say “I am sorry” is a critical step towards reconciliation and healing . That is what made British Prime Minister Cameron’s recent apology to the people of Derry, Northern Ireland regarding the Bloody Sunday inquiry so powerful.
link to youtube.com
There is a deep synchronicity in the crowd reaction to the word “sorry” from Prime Minister Cameron and the lyrics of the Sinead O’Connor song. The apology was sincere, heart felt and without ambiguity, something that would have been unheard from a British Prime Minister only two decades ago. In these words was the recognition of the humanity of the “other” and glorious evidence that change and eventually peace are possible. The artists in any society have the freedom and obligation to express the intangible truths that we are all aware of, even if they are never uttered out loud.
Let’s look forward to a day when the words “I’m sorry” can be uttered by Israeli Prime Minister to the people of Palestine. I believe it is not only possible, but inevitable.
Great analogies and links, Ventura.
that was an amazing post ventura. thank you so much. every single video and your words. it should be front paged.
LV ~ here in AU we had our own sorry moment a couple of years ago when now-deposed PM Rudd made an apology on behalf of the Parliament and nation, to the Stolen Generations – thousands of indigenous Australians who were basically kidnapped by the Gov. from their communities at a young age and forced grow up in orphanages in an attempt to assimilate them back into ‘White Australia’. Unbelievably, this was still occurring as late as the 1960s and early 1970s.
Like Cameron’s apology, Rudd’s was completely unconditional – and like you, I’ve wondered how long before the Knesset could make such an apology to Palestinians, or if it could ever happen. It feels impossible for now. But these are critical moments for nations. It has to happen. So much has to come before though. Reconciliation is the last step, not the first – as some posters on this blog claim.
Avrahum Burg has recently re-entered Israeli politics on a platform of total equality. He’s previously spoken out against the Law of Return and against defining Israel as a jewish state. I don’t know the finer points of his platform but I imagine it will be reasonable. So perhaps there is some hope after all. I don’t see Israel surviving at all unless they adopt saner policies such as Burg proposes.
‘Avraham Burg plans a new Israeli party committed to equality for all’
link to jfjfp.com
Part of Rudd’s speech (starting 6.05):
link to youtube.com
it’s starting to dawn on me how powerful this event is. Deane is right what he says about the courage of the new artists making this stand.
from your link (here)
is there a video of this performance?
Annie -
Eoin Dillon of Kíla and Lebanese jazz guitarist Sami Moukaddem perform Eoin’s new song “Rachel Corrie” live in Dublin on Thursday 12th August 2010 (uploaded by IPSC with permission):
link to youtube.com
The performance was part of a concert to launch the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s “Irish artists’ pledge to boycott Israel” held in Meeting House Square, Temple Bar.
Eoin Dillon: link to myspace.com
Sami Moukaddem: link to samimoukaddem.com
munro, thanks. i answered you upthread..not sure how it landed under taxi. much appreciated.