Israel-Hating Artists Pen Letter in Defense of Lorde’s Right to be a Hypocrite

A group of artists have written a letter in The Guardian (naturally) in support of Lorde and her decision to boycott Israel.

The usual suspects appear, as well as some you may not have been aware were also standing on the wrong side of history.

Letter in support of Lorde

We write in support of Lorde, who made public her decision not to perform in Israel and has now been branded a “bigot” in a full page advertisement in the Washington Post (Guardian, 1 January 2018).

Shmuley Boteach, the author and promoter of the advert, supports Israel’s illegal settlements and wrote last month on Breitbart to thank Donald Trump for “electrifying the world” with his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in defiance of international law. He has nothing to teach artists about human rights.

We deplore the bullying tactics being used to defend injustice against Palestinians and to suppress an artist’s freedom of conscience. We support Lorde’s right to take a stand.

Signed by:

KhalidAbdallaactor
TundeAdebimpemusician
RachelAggsmusician
YasmineAl Massriactor
KevinAllenscreenwriter, director
AmirAmiranifilmmaker
AdjoaAndohactor
FrankieArmstrongsinger
ConradAtkinsonartist, emeritus professor
SarahBeddingtonartist
YvesBergerpainter
CarolineBergvallwriter, artist
NicholasBlincoewriter
LeahBorromeofilmmaker
JonathanBurrowschoreographer
DavidCalderactor
JulieChristieactor
IanChristiefilm historian, broadcaster
ChipoChungactor
CarylChurchillplaywright
DominicCookedirector
KiaCorthronplaywright, novelist
JosephCowardwriter, artist
MollyCrabappleartist, writer
JohnCusack
actor, writer, producer, board member Freedom of the Press Foundation
SelmaDabbaghwriter
CherienDabisfilm and TV director
WilliamDalrymplewriter
AngelaDaviswriter
DrorDayanfilmmaker
Robertdel Najamusician
LaurenceDreyfusdirector, Phantasm viol consort
CarolDrinkwaterfilmmaker
DavidEdgarplaywright
NancyElanviolinist
BrianEnomusician
EveEnslerplaywright, performer
SamirEskandamusician
JodieEvanswriter, producer
ShepardFaireyartist
MichelleFairleyactor
Saeed T.Faroukyfilmmaker
Fat White Familyband
YasminFeddafilmmaker
BellaFreuddesigner
PeterGabrielmusician
LisaGerrardcomposer
TomGilroyfilm director
DavidGraymusician
KathleenHannamusician, artist
JohnKeaneartist
ReemKelanisinger, musicologist
PeterKennardartist
ALKennedywriter
JonathanKenttheatre and opera director
HariKunzruwriter
TalibKwelimusician
DavidLanartistic director, Young Vic
PaulLavertyscriptwriter
TomLeonardpoet
KenLoachfilm director
MiriamMargolyesactor
KikaMarkhamactor
YannMartelwriter
EmelMathlouthimusician
PaulineMelvillewriter
TomMorellomusician
JennyMorganfilmmaker
DavidMorriseyactor, director
ViggoMortensen Jractor, writer, musician, artist
PeterMullanactor, director
RebeccaO’Brienfilm producer
AndrewO’Haganwriter
EugeneO’Hareactor, writer
MaxinePeakeactor
MirandaPennellfilmmaker
BrendanPerrymusician
NancyPlattfilmmaker
JocelynPookcomposer
DaveRandallmusician
MarkRuffaloactor
AlexeiSaylecomedian, writer
JamesSchamusproducer, writer, director
DavidScottmusic producer, sound engineer
NabilShabanactor, writer
WallaceShawnactor, playwright
FarhanaSheikhwriter
GillianSlovowriter
CherrySmithpoet
JohnSmithartist
ChrisSomes-Charltonartist management
AhdafSoueifwriter
JulietStevensonactor
JennieStolleractor
SamuelTomsmusician
AliceWalkerwriter
NaomiWallaceplaywright, screenwriter
RogerWatersmusician
HilaryWestlaketheatre director
SusanWooldridgeactor, writer
NicholasWrightplaywright, director
EmilyYoungartist
BenjaminZephaniahpoet, musician

Note how the letter is mainly an attack on Shmuley Boteach, who also had the gall to believe in the Jews’ right to live in their ancestral homeland and recognize Jerusalem as it always has been – our capital.

And these doyens of morality do not address Boteach’s main point at all.

“While Lorde claims to be concerned with human rights, she hypocritically chose to proceed with her two concerts in Putin’s Russia, despite his support for [Syrian president Bashar al-]Assad’s genocidal regime,” the ad says.

As Boteach continues in his ad

“Let’s boycott the boycotters and tell Lorde and her fellow bigots that Jew-hatred has no place in the twenty-first century.”

I agree and we should add each of those who signed this letter to the list.

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