More than 250 cultural organisations and 800 artists from the Netherlands and Belgium have announced a boycott of all institutions and company that have links to the Israeli state. News of the boycott appears in Friday’s edition of the daily ‘De Morgen’.
Flemish and Dutch cultural sector announces boycott of all institutions and companies with links to the Israeli government
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An open letter was given to the Flemish Culture Minister Caroline Gennez (socialist) on Friday. It was signed by numerous leading cultural institutions such as Brussels’ Royal Flemish Theatre (KVS), the Beursschouwburg arts centre (also in Brussels) VIERNULVIER and the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent (East Flanders) and De Singel in Antwerp. Prominent artists such as the authors Tom Lanoye and David Van Reybrouck, the musician Daan Stuyven, actors Koen De Graeve and Veerle Baetens and the poet Ramsey Nasr also signed the letter.
“We no longer wish to stand by in the face of war crimes, crimes against humanity and a genocide against the Palestinian people,” the letter states. The boycott applies only to Israeli institutions, organisations and companies and not to individuals, The boycott specifically excludes groups that oppose “genocide, apartheid and occupation”.
The move follows last month’s controversy over the cancellation of a concert by Israeli conductor Lahav Shani.