Sir, – Concerning the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn and its decision not to host the Jewish Film Festival, Desmond FitzGerald claims (August 14th) that “[t]he only reason to single out a Jewish event is because the person who first raised the issue is anti-Semitic, because otherwise the theatre would have simply announced that it would accept no events directly funded by any embassy”.
This ignores the oft-clarified point that the boycott of events funded by the Israeli embassy (ie the government of Israel) has been called for by Palestinian civil society itself in response to the world’s governments’ failure to sanction Israel for its occupation and colonisation of Palestinian land. Mr FitzGerald’s contention is merely an attempt to smear opposition to Israel’s crimes as anti-Semitism, and thus to equate all Jews, whether they like it or not, with the state of Israel. – Yours, etc,
RAYMOND DEANE,
Ireland-Palestine
Solidarity Campaign,
Dublin 2
Sir, – Desmond Fitzgerald states that the only reason to single out a Jewish event is “because the person who first raised the issue is anti-Semitic”. This conjecture is entirely unsubstantiated. Decision-makers at the Tricycle were happy to host the festival for the previous eight years, and they even offered to replace the Israeli embassy’s funding contribution with money from the Tricyle’s own resources so that they could host the 2014 festival with a clean conscience.
Mr Fitzgerald makes a contrast between the boycott of Israel and the supposed lack of willingness of people to boycott countries like Russia. There is indeed a contrast: in the case of Russia’s actions in the Crimea, the West’s political leaders exerted pressure, including sanctions. Thus it wasn’t necessary for grassroots human rights activists and concerned ethical shoppers to align in a boycott movement. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN Ó ÉIGEARTAIGH,
Maxwell Road,
Dublin 6