Culture  Art&Culture
US: Protestors halt Israeli Ballet performance
Merav Yudilovitch
Published: 20.02.10, 12:44
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75 Talkbacks for this article
1. Correction: Adalah-NY is not Adalah, Haifa
Adalah-NY ,   Brooklyn, NY   (02.20.10)
Please note that the boycott call was issued by Adalah-NY, the New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel, among others, not Adalah- The Center For Minority Rights in Israel, who are very nice people but not us. www.adalahny.org
2. Protest of Israeli Ballet in Burlington, VT, USA
Mark Hage ,   Montpelier, Vermont   (02.20.10)
Please do your homework before reporting on anti-Israeli protests in the United States or anywhere else. The non-violent protestors who interrupted the performance of the Israeli Ballet in Burlington, Vermont, did not "force their way into the theater," as you claimed without offering a shred off evidence to support it. They walked in the front door with their tickets in hand. The protesters were local activists, American- and Israeli-born. Futher, the protest was NOT organized by The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. Mark Hage
3. The arabs have no culture
dave ,   uk   (02.20.10)
4. Proving again that pro-Palestinian=pro-terror, anti-culture
Global Citizen ,   Israel & USA   (02.20.10)
5. What do you mean 'arabs have no culture'???
Abdul-Aziz Tahshimi ,   Amman, Jordan   (02.20.10)
We are best in the world at bomb-making & greatly improved suicide attacks!
6. #4 Right On!!
Dan ,   Titusville, FL   (02.20.10)
Once again Palestinians prove they are 7th century barbarians believing in a cult of death. Civilization, culture, rule of law, future for children have no meaning to them. The beautiful seaside resort of Gaza is ideal for them to practice all variants of their cult.
7. Adalah-NY, shame on you...
Krzysztof ,   Warsaw, Poland   (02.20.10)
this is totally unacceptable, despicable to punish normal people from some country for the alleged wrong behaviour of an army or some settlers. Should the world totally boycott the Palestinian culture and actually the culture of most of islamic countries because the most basic human rights are violated there? Should people boycott Russian artists for what the Russian army and state did to Chechnyans 10 years ago? Should anyone boycott the whole Turkey and Iran because their presidents openly whitens the president of Sudan? Unacceptable hooliganism.
8. The true measure of Adalah-NY
Joshua ,   London, UK   (02.20.10)
To get the true measure of Adalah-NY I suggest you visit their website. There you will find that they demand a "right of return" for Palestinian "refugees." You will also find that they "affirm the right" of the Palestinians "to resist occupation and oppression". In other words, this is an organisation that supports terror and is working for the destruction of Israel.
9. Should the world not boycott Muslim events
Akira ,   Tokyo   (02.20.10)
since 99% terror attacks against innocent women, children, and elderly are commited by Muslims? These people ned to get a life.
10. to 5 ezz
hashima ,   elfankdoomeyya   (02.20.10)
you do not know about ..dabka ..deheyya ..arada ... hizz ya wizz.this is not a culture it is dancing . it is evry where .and bombing is also evry where .be aware in amman it will be soon ...
11. They shouldn't perform on Shabbat anyway
Mark   (02.20.10)
Friday night at 8 pm is when theyshould be sitting with their families eating Shabbat dinner, not publicly dancing in far away lands. Don't get me wrong: I'd be the first to beat the living daylights out of the Arab terrorists, but the ballet has no business on Friday night.
12. Israeli ballet dancers and other artists are not...
Persian CAT   (02.20.10)
the right targets for boycotts! Let's concentrate on Zionists war criminals who rule that country!
13. Excellent!
Noor ,   Coral Springs, USA   (02.20.10)
Excellent work by Adalah-NY. Deligitimization of Israel is speeding down the slippery slope at an unprecedented rate. This is the way terrorists should be treated. No more good treatment for Israel terror. Great job once again.
14. #2 Mark Hage - Hypocrisy
Noach ,   USA   (02.20.10)
You get on the author for lack of understanding yet your entire protest is based on a lack of basis and understanding. I suggest you do YOUR homework before taking action. To anyone who actually knows anything about this conflict you seem very misinformed and short sighted. Read some history or you will be doomed to perpetuate it.
15. Mark Hage @ 2, And the reason I have to thrust you
leo ,   usa   (02.20.10)
more than media is ...? Anyway, if I bought a ticket I expect to get its money worth. You and your silly protests are stealing my money. Plus you deprive me of receiving aesthetic value, loss of which cannot be measured. Not to mention time of my lifespan, which cannot be replaced. Next time you want to hold protest ask my permission to have my life wasted on you or do not be surprised when you are not welcomed.
16. Israel has to understand the clue and
Vardina   (02.20.10)
deport all Israeli Arabs to the West Bank. Let them feel how well they will be treated by their palestinean "brothers". Our tolerance has to be zero.
17. 12. Zionism is the right of Israel to exist as a
(02.20.10)
Jewish state. That's a beautiful thing. I'm sure u have no problem with the 27 Arab countries existing as muslim states. Nor Iran and the additional 20 something Muslim counries. May God continue to bless Israel. Am Israel Chai.
18. 13. u and urs
American   (02.20.10)
are the worst thing that ever happened to America.
19. 16. I wish we would wise-up/toughen-up and do as u suggest
(02.20.10)
20. link to this great BDS action inline
BDS activist   (02.20.10)
http://samayfield.blip.tv/file/3242921/ they demonstrators who did not "force their way in: by the way, held 2 signs saying: "Sponsored by Apartheid Israel" and "No tutu is big enough to cover War Crimes".
21. the same way nazis acted at the beginning
Viva Israel   (02.20.10)
22. Timidity !Escorting outside is not Prosecution
Roland Seener ,   London England   (02.20.10)
23. This is what happens when you want to
Vardina   (02.20.10)
show Muslims some culture. Conclusion: send them back to where they came from.
24. Re: #8 Krzysztof
Apa ,   NYC   (02.20.10)
The ballet is there as part of a government-sponsored campaign to re-brand Israel and shift focus from Gaza and other atrocities. As such they are a perfectly valid target for boycott.
25. like oil & water, culture & koran do not mix
" Aida "   (02.20.10)
Analogy with mein Kampf and the koran is not far fetched. Hatred, mass slaughter, lies, race cleansing, domination,are common beliefs they both share. The koran is a bit more refined,i.e.: live stoning to death, honor killing, slavery, mastery in child suicide, and a few more unprintable. The arts, ballet, and opera, are not in the koran's league, the most reviled piece of literature ever written.
26. These people should be sued by the people in the audience.
Leon ,   Los Angeles, USA   (02.20.10)
They paid good money to see the show and these so called "human rights activists" ruined the concert. This is another proof of terrorist arab behavior. No culture whatsoever. Selfish Batbarian arabs.
27. # 25 - Koran & Kultur do not mix
Gisele   (02.20.10)
Oh !, I do agree with you 100%
28. Israel Ballet protest
Ivan Oddssym ,   Burlington, VT USA   (02.20.10)
Thanks for reporting on the protest at the Israel Ballet performance in Burlington. While I appreciate the mention, I feel obliged to make a few factual corrections, as virtually all of the details in the article are incorrect. As I was one of the protesters, I am able to give a more accurate representation of what happened than a writer apparently working with fourth or fifth hand information. First of all, the protest was not headed by Adalah. I've never even heard of that organization. We were simply acting as individuals of conscience, 3 Americans and 1 Israeli. The group that was leafleting outside the theater is called Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel, and has no connection with Adalah, or with the action that took place inside the theater. Second, we never "forced our way into the theater" as you rather slanderously reported. In fact, though we support boycotting Israel as a non-violent pressuring tactic, we did the opposite on this occasion and paid $50 apiece for tickets (no small expense for a professional klezmer musician in Vermont, believe me). Third, we were not "waving signs saying that anyone who watched the performance was 'supporting Israel's apartheid policy'". We unfurled two banners which read "Sponsored by Apartheid Israel" and "No tutu is big enough to cover War Crimes". It is irresponsible reporting to place in quotation marks something which is not a quote, but a re-imagining or, to put it charitably, a paraphrase of what was actually said. To continue, we were not escorted out by police, but rather left of our own volition before the police arrived. The dancers continued their performance professionally without missing a beat. In light of your journal's careless treatment of basic facts, I am compelled to view all other articles published therein with a good dose of skepticism. The article did get at least one important fact right, which is that the Israel Ballet is touring the US as part of an official state campaign. Called "Brand Israel" by the government, this campaign is an effort to resuscitate, using cultural figures and institutions, Israel's image as a civilized nation in the eyes of the world, in the wake of its decidedly uncivilized recent conduct in Lebanon and Gaza, and its subsequent condemnation by virtually the entire human rights and international community. Our decision to disrupt the performance was the result of a long debate about the morality and efficacy of such an action. As performers and people in the Arts ourselves (our group consisted of a performer of Yiddish music and actor, a theater artist and high school teacher, a filmmaker, and a musician and former Israeli Air Force pilot) disrupting a ballet was not something we took lightly. It was ultimately decided that there is always a price to pay when one wishes to change the status quo and, in light of Israel's outrageous and unacceptable behavior toward Palestinians and Lebanese, and its attempt to distract attention from its crimes with brightly-colored artistic and cultural products, the price, in this case, was worth it. We are not going to let people forget the 1,400 people killed in Gaza last year, 4/5 of whom were non-combatants. We will not let people forget the 5,000 who were wounded, many who lost limbs, or who are now paralyzed for life. We will not let people forget the 6,000 homes that were completely destroyed by Israeli bombs and bulldozers in Operation Cast Lead. We were brought up to be polite and gentle people, and we don't relish rudeness, but there is nothing defensible about remaining silent while Israelis behave like savages, committing massacres and imprisoning a whole population, while coating itself in the veneer of civilization.
29. #24 Apa, narrow nonsense...
Krzysztof ,   Warsaw, Poland   (02.21.10)
this is your biased interpretation of what is this ballet for. The basic reason for a ballet is the ballet: the artists and the listeners are the listeners. I repeat: where were your stupid leftist boycotts when Russian army was commiting heinous crimes to Chechnyans? Where do you organize boycott campaign against Turkey killing thousands of Kurds and depriving them from even using their language in public, not even speaking of giving them autonomy? Where are leftists demonstrating against treatment of Southern Saharians by Morocco? Against hanging gays and killing hundreds of protesters last years in Iran? Where were YOU when rockets were thousends rockets were falling from the Gaza Hamastan for last 4 years? Where were YOU when Hamas' Meshal broke the ceasefire and rockets were propelled again? Or when putch of Hamas left 400 Palestinians dead? Mr or mrs Apa, I'm telling you that such irresponsible boycotting exclusively one side of a conflict (and in wider sense mainly one conflict in the world) makes me and people like me interested more and more in israeli artists. Last week Mor Karbasi had concert in western city of Szczecin, and the hall was just overcrouded.
30. #20 Classless cultural midget
Cynthia ,   USA   (02.20.10)
I hope they get jail time and their tutu is big enough for them to sit on.
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