US groups protest Israel cultural boycott
Following cancelation of Stevie Wonder performance for IDF, actress Noa Tishby and two pro-Israel organizations issue online petition calling for end to cultural ban on Jewish state
The petition follows recent incidents which included a call to boycott Israel's Cameri Theater and the cancelation of Stevie Wonder's performance at the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces annual gala in Los Angeles.
"We, the undersigned, stand together in support of the State of Israel. We call upon all people who side with freedom, to stand up against this boycott movement. We stand up for the State of Israel in its struggle to protect its citizens from rocket attacks and other terror attacks," the petition reads in English and in Hebrew.
The petition has already been signed by more than 16,000 people, including several leading television actors: Vanessa Marcil ("Hawaii Five-0," "Beverly Hills 90210"), Josh Charles ("The Good Wife") and A. J. Buckley ("CSI: NY").
This is the first time that pro-Israel organizations in the United States unite against the cultural boycott.
"Israel's situation in the world is getting worse every day and we can no longer ignore it," Tishby told Ynet. "Our diplomatic isolation is increasing, and the voices of reasons are drowned in a frenzy of aggression.
"Regardless of our political opinion and whether the public supports the Israeli government's political moves or not, the reality is that Israel is not an apartheid country yet.
"We must realize as Israelis that the boycott begins on a low note – with one or two artists canceling their concerts or anti-Israel protests at the Bat Sheva Dance Company's performances around the world. But we must be very concerned about the places this can go to. We must not sit idle. We must do something before it's too late."
