Demotix/Mark Kerrison. All rights reserved.Recently 150 authors, artists, academics, journalists and politicians signed a letter which appeared in The Guardian (22 October) announcing an initiative to foster “dialogue about Israel and the Palestinians in the wider cultural and creative community”.
The Culture for Coexistence campaign was established in response to a letter which previously appeared in The Guardian (13 February) signed by some 700 artists which called for a complete cultural boycott of Israel, “until Israel respects international law and ends its colonial oppression of the Palestinians”. So while one side argues for “open dialogue and interaction (to) promote greater understanding and mutual acceptance”, the other rejects this business-as-usual approach opting instead to isolate Israel in order to force political change.
