Posted on 09/04/2006 5:15:48 AM PDT by white trash redneck
LONDON (EJP)--- Prominent British film director Ken Loach has called for a boycott of state-sponsored Israeli cultural institutions in response to Israel’s actions in Lebanon, and has encouraged others to follow suit.
The 69-year-old winner of this year’s Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival has also refused an invite to attend this year’s Haifa Film Festival in protest against Israel’s actions during the recent hostilities in Lebanon.
He said: “I support the call by Palestinian film-makers, artists and others to boycott state sponsored Israeli cultural institutions and urge others to join their campaign.
“Palestinians are driven to call for this boycott after 40 years of the occupation of their land, destruction of their homes and the kidnapping and murder of their civilians. They have no immediate hope that this oppression will end.”
As a result, he has declined an invitation to attend the Haifa International Film Festival in October saying: “It is impossible to ignore the appeals of Palestinian comrades. Consequently, I would decline any invitation to the Haifa Film Festival or other such occasions.”
Socialist worker
Loach, a member of the Socialist Workers Party and the National Council of George Galloway’s Respect Party, also condemned the British and US governments for supporting Israel.
“As British citizens we have to acknowledge our own responsibility. We must condemn the British and US governments for supporting and arming Israel. We must also oppose the terrorist activities of the British and US governments in pursuing their illegal wars and occupations.”
The Cannes Film Festival award was for his latest film, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, about the struggle for Irish independence, which some critics have labelled as anti-British.
In response, the British film director Josh Appignanesi, who directed the Jewish film Song of Songs, said: “The suffering that Israel has in one way or another inflicted on the Palestinians is completely unacceptable and the current situation in the territories is a political and humanitarian scandal that must be brought to an end. The disgusting recent war with Hizbollah has taken a shocking and entirely unnecessary human toll.”
However he continued: “But it is precisely at such times that we need to remain cool-headed and clear in our response. So it was with some disappointment but no great surprise that I heard that Ken Loach, a filmmaking institution in himself, has added his voice to calls to boycott state-sponsored Israeli cultural institutions. His letter is far from clear about what the boycott hopes to achieve and why he is asking us to sign up to it.”
He added: “One can only wonder why the world is being asked to rally to boycott Israel in lieu of say, Turkey, Iran, Zimbabwe and China. Perhaps those nations have been around long enough to be able to trample human rights constantly without their existence being drawn into question?
“Strange that the concerned Western Left, in which I would like to include myself, can trust itself to distinguish between creator, creation, specific institution and regime in these other cases, but not in that of Israel or is there something else at play?”
Other festivals targeted
Last month the Edinburgh International Film Festival returned a donation from the Israeli Embassy after pro-Palestinian activists inundated the organisers with mail and phone calls and threatened to demonstrate at the event.
The Irish Film Festival also cancelled its sponsorship arrangement with the Israeli Embassy in Dublin, for the screening of an Israeli film at the festival in August, following Israel’s actions in Lebanon.
Mark Mulqueen, the director of the Irish Film Institute, said in a statement: “The decision is taken in light of the current activities of the Israeli government and prompted by the performance of your ambassador in explaining these acts to the Irish public. It is important for us to separate the screening of an Israeli feature film from activities of the Israeli government. In allowing the screening to go ahead, this is not an act of artistic censorship, something we would be loath to do.”
fyi
It has already started. Anti-semitism (state-structured or group-structured anti-Jewish policies) and gold ol' fashioned hatred of the Jews is now more in vougue than Manolo shoes. It will only get worse, I'm afraid....
He who says "A" must say "B"
And his opinion matters why?
Because he makes movies?
Who cares!!!
Rhymes with "roach".
I hate British Nazis.
But wait! I thought sanctions didn't work. Isn't that what the lefties are telling us about Iran????
Didn't this guy get a direct invitation to convert to Islam? I haven't heard his response. Anyone else know? I can't wait to hear this one. LOL.
Exactly. Who cares what this bum says except the Hollywood Left?? The response is for Americans not to see any of his tripe or anything that Palestinians put forward. That Europe, Galloway, the EU can put forward this mess as real art is nonsense. I am sure they will rethink their hatred of Hitler's pre-Nazi portraits and tell us it is good art!!!!! What morons!
Galloway is a raging antisemite. Screw this socialist neo-nazi.
I'm waiting for the Hollywood left to denounce his antisemitism and his support of terrorist attacks launched from Lebanon with the wink and a nod from the Lebanese government (there should have been ZERO tolerance for rockets being launched).
"The 69-year-old winner of this year’s Palme d’Or award at the Cannes Film Festival"
If recent history has shown us anything, the Academy will probably honor him with an Oscar nomination just as they honored Hitler's filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, on the year of her death. And NO she didn't have to become Hitler's propagandist. Fritz Lang could've had the job and fled Nazi Germany. If you opposed the regime, don't do such a "good job" making them look so powerful and superior.
If anyone has links to other Israeli commerce or culture sites please add them to this thread.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.
also Keywords 2006israelwar or WOT [War on Terror]
----------------------------
Too late, by about 50 years... 3/4 of Europe have already flushed their Bibles down the toilet...
:>)
Bumper stickers, T-shirts, posters, flags, cosmetics, jewelry, tchochkes (nicnacks) and more!
Oh, brother...
Now I have a little boycott of my own to attend to.
If you'd like to be on or off this
Christian Supporters of Israel ping list,
please FR mail me ~
MikeFromFR ~
There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had
spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. (Joshua 21:45)
Letter To The President In Support Of Israel ~
'Final Solution,' Phase 2 ~
Warnings ~
"The West has given more significance to the myth of the genocide of the Jews, even more significant than God, religion, and the prophets...."—Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Holocaust Chronicle ~
" ... It's time we recognized the nature of the conflict. It's total war and we are all involved. Nobody on our side is exempted because of age, gender, or handicap. The Islamofacists have stolen childhood from the world."—FReeper Retief
"Palestine is the wrong name for their State. It should be called Anarchy."—FReeper sgtbono2002
"Then let's wait and see what the Arabs do after they take Gaza. There's nothing like Arab reality to break up a Jewish fantasy."—FReeper Noachian
A student told his professor he was going to "Palestine" to "fight for freedom, peace and justice,"—Orwellian leftist code words that mean "murder Jews."
The Nature Of Bruce ~
Now "Kauft nicht bei Juden" has become a "progressive" rallying cry. I wonder how long it will be before they start burning books?
There isn't a whole lot that old Jew-hater Europe can do to the Jews anymore. They already murdered the majority who lived there. The rest ran away to Israel and have armed themselves to the teeth. The ones that live in the US can't be bullied, so what are old fashioned Jew-haters to do?
A cultural boycott of Israel. . .perhaps they should divest their lives and 'livelyhood'. . .including films, literature, health-care; music. . .entertainment of all things 'Jewish'. Would they; could they, recognize their poverty?
Anti semitism at it's finest.
Mark Mulqueen, the director of the Irish Film Institute,
WTF!!! are we listening to crap direcotrs and a film institute guy on politics now...sweet baby jesus
I hate to be a pessimist, but perhaps we should start thinking about building our "underground railroads", supply caches and armament stores for when the fascists march over here. If nothing else, we're going to need to help the Jews and oppressed conservatives get out of hostile nations to safe areas.
Sounds silly, I know, but hope for the best, prepare for the worst...this time, when they come for our neighbors, kick their friggin' @rses and make them bleed.
I always by Ahava lotion. It is the best. Thanks for the link. :-)
A new leftist strategy - political advertisement thinly disguised as a film documentary pre-screening.
This has become the leftist answer to conservative talk radio.
BUMP
They probably burn Ann Coulter's books already. And to think that they are PROUD of themselves!
Sickening.
His two films on Ireland are so pro-IRA that even the Irish thought them stereotypical nonsense to the nth degree.
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