Artists like me are being censored in Germany – because we support Palestinian rights
JVL Introduction
For understandable historical reasons, Germany is very reluctant to see any criticism of Israel that may lead to accusations of antisemitism.
But for some, any criticism at all falls into that category.
A growing paranoia was brought into sharp focus in 2019 when a non-binding parliamentary resolution falsely equated BDS with antisemitism.
It is now leading to blatant artistic censorship in Germany as Brian Eno documents in this Comment is Free article.
Quite simply, support for the nonviolent, Palestinian-led BDS movement has been enough to cause any promoter, director or institution to quake in their boots.
But there is now a fightback.
Representatives of 32 of Germany’s leading cultural institutions, including the Goethe-Institut, have jointly spoken out about the baleful effects of parliament’s anti-BDS resolution.
This article was originally published by The Guardian on Thu 4 Feb 2021. Read the original here.
Artists like me are being censored in Germany – because we support Palestinian rights
A 2019 parliamentary resolution has had a chilling effect on critics of Israeli policy. Now the cultural sector is speaking up.
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Good on yer, Brian. Keep up the fight.
Brian Eno sums up the situation perfectly:
“This is the work of tyranny: create a situation where people are frightened enough to keep their mouths shut, and self-censorship will do the rest.”
We must continue the fight against censorship, apartheid, racism, ethnic cleansing and hatred everywhere.
The current mood everywhere reminds me of the 1960s when whole groups of people throughout the world grasped the moment to challenge the status quo: Civil Rights movement in the USA. Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Anti – Apartheid Movement – particularly South Africa. Increasing support for Cuba against the American attempts to destroy the country politically and economically. Stonewall -Riots against police brutality and discrimination against gay people.
We cant support BDS without campaigning for all oppressed peoples. An attack on the Palestinians or on the right to protest and voice dissent is an attack on us all.
The attack on democracy in the Labour Party is the most overt and discriminatory against the left I have ever seen. We must agitate, educate and organise against the “enemy within”. Solidarity.
Freedom of speech is so important, it is worth fighting for.
It’s about time the weaponry was evened up a bit and the antiSemitism ‘nuclear weapon’ dropped on Israel for their persecution of the Haredim.
…. create a situation where people are frightened enough to keep their mouths shut, and self-censorship will do the rest.”
What I find frightening is the extent of self censorship within the PLP. Almost total. Then today I saw the new compulsory form for LP candidates to the NEC, where candidates have to confess anything the party considers a sin. This effectively will exclude anyone supporting Palestinian rights from taking part in LP decision making. It really is time for the self censorship to end. Peple MUST speak up against this totalitarian situation. What kind of a govt, would a party that behaves like this make?
Absolutely bang on, Brian. Thanks.
Everybody’s human rights need to be defended.
We need to educate those in power so that they u derstand antisemitism correctly. I think the mistake Germany makes (and probably other countries) is to want to do things by the letter to avoid being seen as anti-semetic. There is still a lot of collective guilt about fascism, the wars, the Holocaust. But I had hoped that we had progressed further, but sadly we are still miles away from resolving it as a nation. I grew up in Germany, but left to join my partner 39 years ago.
It is totally unacceptable to sacrifice the Palestinian people and their human rights in order of avoiding the AS accusations.
The only way we can achieve a resolution is in my view to fight for peace and justice, equality against racism of any kind and challenge those who violate these regardless of who they are.
To give in to pressure, look away and not stand up for the rights of oppressed people is in my view as bad as perpetrating these action.
We need to discuss these issues and listen to those who live the experiences, they need to be free to tell the story of their people so we can learn to understand and find effective way to support them and help them achieve peace, equality and a live without war, degradation, discrimination and hate.
Any artist, whatever the medium, must believe in cultural freedom so the misguided stance of the German government towards BDS and towards anyone expressing any sympathy with BDS must be opposed vigorously .
Saddened by this article…the terrible direction of travel in Germany and of course here in the UK. But thank you Brian.
“In Nirit’s view: “When defenders of Israel insist that these occupation and apartheid policies are done in the name of all Jews worldwide, they fuel antisemitism. ”
This sums it up exactly.
I cannot believe I had not thought of the obvious sensitive areas for fighting against oppressive regimes against the people of Palestine. Initially reading your article I immediately was taken aback that Germany was silencing the voice. But I know understand the dilemma attached to this position. It is terrible that you under this cloud, as I have always seen Germany as a progressive human rights advocate. We in the U.K. are under the same threat , not necessarily by the government . But the Labour Party under Zionist Starmer as leader , and he has gagged all the left wing and threatened them with suspension under the weaponised antisemitism flag. If we can be your voice let me know!
It seems that when it comes to censorship, present day Germany has learnt no lessons from its Nazi past.
The use of the memory of the holocaust to suppress freedom of speech demonstrates that all the wrong lessons have been learnt from the past. Because Jews were victims of ethnic cleansing and worse in Germany, then in their name Israel has the right to ethnically cleanse and oppress the Palestinians.
Thus the German ruling class expiate their historical guilt via the suffering of the Palestinians
What bemuses me is that critics of Israel have a penchant for whipping themselves into a frenzy about the misdeeds of the Jewish state. The gusto and delight that they derive from this is rather sad .We all know the mantra, ” Israel and its supporters are rotten to the core “.
Surely it is possible to criticise Israel without dragging in the old tired comparisons with Apartheid South Africa and Nazi Germany.
I myself was an academic in Cape Town in the heyday of Apartheid and my father in law escaped from Nazi Germany .To liken Israel to these appalling regimes is tempting but wrong.