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jerusalem | Actress Meg Ryan’s decision to cancel her appearance at this week’s Jerusalem Film Festival didn’t garner the same attention in Israel as when British rocker Elvis Costello nixed his Israel concert this spring.
Both, however, were a reminder to Israelis that in the eyes of much of the world, Israel’s politics and culture are inseparable.
The cancellations were part of a string that Israel has experienced over the past few months, including appearances by the indie rock band the Pixies, singer Devendra Banhart, alternative rockers Gorillaz, the British band the Klaxons and American soul singer Gil Scott-Heron. In February, rock legend Carlos Santana withdrew from a sold-out performance reportedly due to pressure from pro-Palestinian groups.
Israelis have taken to calling this a “cultural intifada” — borrowing a term used by the Palestinians to describe their uprisings against Israel.
“Intense pressure is being applied to foreign artists not to come to Israel,” prominent Israeli promoter Shuki Weiss, who has brought such top-name acts to Israel as Madonna and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, told the Israeli business daily Globes.
“I am full of both sorrow and pain in light of the fact that our repeated attempts to present quality acts and festivals in Israel have increasingly been falling victim to what I can only describe as a form of cultural terrorism which is targeting Israel and the arts worldwide,” Weiss wrote in a statement.
The most recent high-profile cancellation, by Ryan, came right after Israel’s May 31 interception of the Gaza-bound, Turkish-flagged aid flotilla, which left nine passengers dead. A day later, Ryan’s staff e-mailed the Jerusalem Film Festival to say she would not be able to attend. Reports that actor Dustin Hoffman also canceled an appearance at the festival were unfounded; Hoffman had never been scheduled to attend the event.
When Costello canceled his two concerts in Tel Aviv at the end of June, he said the decision was “a matter of instinct and conscience.”
The cancellations have frustrated Israel’s music lovers, producers and friends.
Israeli filmmaker Joseph Cedar, whose 2007 movie “Beaufort” received an Academy Award nomination for best foreign language film, said the refusal of artists to perform in Israel is a kind of collective punishment of the culture-loving public — often the very public that is “extra critical of Israeli policies.”
Cedar said that while he believes a boycott is “a legitimate way for an artist to express his political views,” they should be political views the artist has consistently and publicly held.
Some artists appear to be concerned that their performances will be perceived as a political endorsement of Israel’s policies.
When Banhart canceled a pair of Tel Aviv shows two days before their mid-June dates, a message posted on the artist’s website read: “We will be overjoyed to return to Israel on the day that our presence is perceived and reported on as a cultural event and not a political one.”
Asked what the Israeli Sport and Culture Ministry is doing to stem the tide of cancellations, a ministry spokesman said “nothing.”
The cultural boycott of Israel has spread beyond the borders of the Jewish state. Last month in Spain, a float sponsored by the Tel Aviv municipality was banned from Madrid’s gay pride parade. One reason for the withdrawal cited by organizers: Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai had not condemned the Gaza flotilla incident.
Israel has faced similar situations. During the second intifada in the early 2000s, numerous artists canceled appearances in the country due to security concerns.
Still, many acts are going through with their scheduled performances. Some, like the British rock group Jethro Tull, are taking pains to draw distinctions between culture and politics.
After coming under pressure from pro-Palestinian groups such as the U.S. Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, Jethro Tull reaffirmed that it would be playing three concerts in Israel in early August.
Front man Ian Anderson said in a statement linked to the concert dates that he has “long maintained the position that culture and the arts should be free of political and religious censorship and a distance kept between them.” Anderson also said he would donate his concert proceeds to charities promoting coexistence.
Others have been more unabashedly warm toward Israel. In mid-June, Elton John, who has donated money to Israeli causes, played before an enthusiastic crowd.
Musicians Rod Stewart and Rihanna also performed in Israel last month. And on July 11, Ynet reported that American singer Missy Elliott announced that after pressure to cancel her July 15 show in Tel Aviv, she was planning to arrive in Israel a day early to tour the country with her entourage of dancers and crew.
Can the J include a page where readers can easily find a list of artists/actors that boycott Israel & cancel performances in solidarity with the Muslim terrorists?
I’d like to know which ones I need to boycott.
Bill
Login to reply to this comment or post your ownA concert by Elton John has given Israelis a boost after a string of cancellations by other world-famous artists.
The British rocker performed late Thursday in front of a screaming crowd of nearly 50,000 fans at a Tel Aviv stadium.
John, who wore blue-tinted sunglasses, told the audience those cancellations “ain’t gonna stop me from playing here, baby.”
Recent cancellations by the Pixies and Elvis Costello, who cited Israeli government policies, have added to Israel’s growing sense of isolation.
John swiped at those artists, saying, “We do not cherry-pick our consciences,” before hitting the opening chords of his 1972 hit “Crocodile Rock.”
Bill
The Irony is that Actors and Musicians can never perform in Muslim Countries. Islam and Rock & Roll don’t mix. Do you think Madonna could ever perform in Saudi Arabia, Syria or Iran. Never.
Bill there are websites that have posted performer that have boycotted Israel but they are few. The majority of performers have played in Israel many times, such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Madonna & the list is long.
The boycott artist need to worry about several things, the majority of talent agents in the world are Jewish, many musicians who play for “A” list entertainers are Jewish most with ties to Israel. Hollywood may appear to be liberal but when the issue is Israel there is a lot of power and money that always leans in Israel’s favor. I have lived in Los Angeles for many years the big change that we are seeing in the entertainment business is that about 1/3rd of major film producers are now Israeli. They have the final say in who gets to work and who doesn’t. Let’s keep talking and posting the great entertainers who perform in Israel.
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07/15/2010 at 06:15 PM
How can the Jewish people continue in existence without Meg Ryan’s presence? Put aside that she is an actress who can’t act. Put aside that her cuteness, her sole claim to fame, is just plastic surgery. Put aside that she hasn’t been in a decent movie since 1989. Of course, having put those aside, what’s left?
As between Meg Ryan appearing in Israel, and any Jewish teenager who might consider aliyah appearing there, let’s go with the teenager.
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