Hundreds of Irish artists, including actors, novelists, playwrights, poets, designers, composers, architects, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, and others, have expressed solid support for the international anti-Israel movement of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), and announced that they intend not to perform or exhibit in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) announced that its “Irish Artists’ Pledge to Boycott Israel” has just passed the 1,250 signatory mark.
The IPSC said the boycott of Israel also means that the cultural workers would not accept any funding from institutions linked to the Tel Aviv regime.
The pledge signed by the artists stated that the boycott would continue, “until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights”.
The Irish artists’ pledge was initiated by renowned composer, and IPSC co-founder, Raymond Deane.
It commits signatories to refrain from performing in Israel. The campaign was launched by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) in August 2010.
Irish singer and songwriter Damien Dempsey hoped the boycott would encourage young people in Israel who disagreed with the regime to “speak out”.
Musician Donal Lunny said he was taking part to “express solidarity with the Palestinian people”.
When asked about the boycott’s chances for success, Eoin Dillon, a performer with Irish and world music band Kila, said: “It worked in South Africa.”
The BDS movement was initiated in 2005 by over 170 Palestinian organizations that were pushing for “various forms of boycott against Israel until it meets its obligations under international law.”
Thousands of volunteers worldwide have since then joined the BDS movement, which calls for people and groups across the world to cut economic, cultural, and academic ties to Tel Aviv, to help promote the Palestinian cause.
