Belgian and Dutch cultural sectors announce boycott of Israeli institutions
More than 250 cultural organisations and nearly 800 artists in Belgium and the Netherlands have launched an immediate boycott of Israeli state-linked institutions and companies, De Morgen reports.
An open letter, presented on Friday to Flemish Culture minister Caroline Gennez, was signed by leading organisations including the KVS and Beursschouwburg in Brussels, VIERNULVIER and the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent, and De Singel in Antwerp. Prominent artists such as authors Tom Lanoye and David Van Reybrouck, musician Daan Stuyven, actors Koen De Graeve and Veerle Baetens, and poet Ramsey Nasr also pledged support.
“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 and organisations, not individuals, and specifically excludes groups that oppose “genocide, apartheid and occupation policies”.
The move follows controversy in Belgium over the cancellation of a concert by Israeli conductor Lahav Shani, which drew criticism from Flemish government leaders but was supported by minister Gennez. Organisers say the coordinated Belgian-Dutch stance sends a stronger signal, especially as debates over cultural ties with Israel are also intensifying in the Netherlands.
© BELGA PHOTO MAX LOHEST
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