Britain’s Cultural World Accused of Anti-Semitism Towards Jewish Creatives
A series of allegations have emerged suggesting that Britain’s cultural world has turned its back on Jewish creatives. According to the allegations, artists, writers, and performers are being frozen out of British cultural life because they refuse to describe Israeli actions in Gaza as genocidal.
Many have chosen to remain anonymous due to the “chilling” cultural climate in the country, while others have spoken out. A film producer, who is planning to build one of the biggest film studios in Europe in Sunderland, described the industry as “institutionally antisemitic”.
The art world has also been affected, with Tate being threatened with a boycott by artists unless it ends sponsorship from trusts set up by individuals deemed to be close to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Another prominent gallery is involved in a dispute with one of its workers who wore an Israel badge.
Literary figures have also been affected, with some describing how they have been dropped by their agents because they refuse to use the word “genocide”, how authors are refusing to have their books translated into Hebrew, and how they are being excluded from literary festivals and other readings.
Jonathan Shalit, the head of one of the country’s biggest talent agencies, said he was warned that his willingness to support Israel and speak on behalf of Judaism would hinder attempts to have him chosen as the chairman of a “major organisation within the arts industry”.
Michael Etherton, the head of the UK Jewish Film festival, said that cinemas had made it “impossible” to make bookings, with venues citing being “incredibly busy” or suggesting dates that are outside the festival dates.
Leo Pearlman, whose company Fulwell 73 is building the Sunderland film centre, described the industry as “institutionally antisemitic”. He cited the difficulties he faced while trying to promote a documentary film about the Hamas-led killings in Gaza.
Lucy Abrahams, a literary scout, described the boycott of Israel’s cultural world as “misdirected, illiberal and counterproductive at best, bullying, demonising and discriminatory at worst”. She said that the boycott would isolate and punish the very people who work the hardest on the ground in Israel to build bridges with Palestinian writers.