Dear Plantu, We are a group of Israeli citizens, active against our government's policies of racism, apartheid and occupation. We support Palestinian civil society's call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israeli institutions, until these Israeli policies come to an end. ( http://boycottisrael.info/node/2/ )

We have learned of your scheduled participation in the Jerusalem Book
Fair/Festival. We would like to ask you to reconsider your participation,
for the sake of human rights.

The Jerusalem Book Fair is sponsored by the Jerusalem Municipality which is
practicing apartheid policies against Palestinians in Jerusalem. The
municipality, under racist Mayor Nir Barkat, demolishes houses in East
Jerusalem, discriminates against the Palestinian residents in all walks of
life, including education, welfare and infrastructure. Palestinians living
in East Jerusalem are experiencing a brutal and humiliating occupation on a
daily basis, and their heir residency rights may be revoked by the State
easily.
( Sample reports:
http://972mag.com/watch-police-spray-putrid-water-on-palestinian-homes-s...

http://972mag.com/in-jlem-thousands-of-palestinian-students-have-no-clas...
http://www.btselem.org/jerusalem/revocation_of_residency

http://www.btselem.org/video/20140622_shufat_water_crisis )

The location where the fair and exhibition will be held is the old train
station in the Baka neighborhood of West Jerusalem. This neighborhood was
ethnically cleansed of its Palestinian residents in 1948. Moreover, a few
minutes away from the venue, the State of Israel is enforcing its reign on
terror on the Palestinian population of East Jerusalem. Young children in
the nearby neighborhood of Silwan. are arrested in the middle of the night
and taken to interrogations.
(
http://www.dci-palestine.org/documents/arrest-and-abuse-israeli-police-p...
)

Many benevolent international artists believe that their visit can change
reality here. However, reality has proven that Israel uses the
participation of international figures in state sponsored events to
whitewash its crimes and market a false message of "business"as usual"and
"democracy in action". Art does not change the world when it it practiced
within the propaganda framework of repressive regimes.

International artists can contribute to end Israeli apartheid for justice
and equality in human rights by saying no to events such as the Jerusalem
Book Fair. To quote Elvis Costello, who cancelled a performance in Israel
several years ago: "Then there are occasions when merely having your name
added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act that
resonates more than anything that might be sung and it may be assumed that
one has no mind for the suffering of the innocent....Sometimes a silence in
music is better than adding to the static and so an end to it."
( http://www.elviscostello.com/news/it-is-after-cosiderable-contemplation/44
)
In view of these facts, we are asking you to reconsider your participation
in the Jerusalem Book Fair!

We will gladly address any question or comment you may have

Sincerely

Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within
(aka Boycott from Within)