Culture Minister Regev at Habima
Photo: Motti Kimchi
Culture Minister Miri Regev was received with both applause and booing from artists in the audience at HaBima Theater on Wednesday evening when she took the stage to speak before the debut performance of the musical "Evita."
The booing came in the wake of new legislation she is promoting that seeks to deny state funding to artists and cultural institutions who denigrate the state flag or state symbols; incite to racism, violence or terrorism; support armed struggle and terrorism against Israel; mark Independence Day as a day of mourning; or deny Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state. Regev said that her proposal is based on previous Knesset legislation.
"I won't stand for the state allowing activity that undermines Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state," Regev told the artists in the audience.
Culture Minister Regev booed at HaBima
"The Culture and Sport Ministry views HaBima as one of the anchors of Israeli culture, and we are committed to supporting the theater," she said. "As part of the discussions on the state budget, I worked to significantly increase the budget (for the Culture Ministry), so I can implement the policy that would give expression the multi-cultural nature of Israeli society, and also brings to cultural justice and the narrowing of cultural gaps."
She denied reports that she decided to transfer budgets from Tel Aviv cultural institutions to those in the periphery. "These things are incorrect, period. I see great importance in cultural activity in the metropolis. The center and the periphery strengthen each other, influence each other, and inspire one another."
The culture minister's relationship with Israeli artists has been volatile from the moment she was appointed to the post, an appointment that was met with harsh personal criticism directed at her.
Later, she caused an outcry of a political nature when she froze state funding for an Arab theater whose play about a Palestinian prisoner who murdered an IDF soldier angered the right, fuelling accusations that the government aims to suppress productions it deems pro-Palestinian.