October 2017

Dear organizers of the Jeden Svet Festival,

We are writing to you from Israel about the sponsorship provided by the Israeli embassy to the festival. As you might know, Israel has been ranked number 91 in the Reporters Without Borders 2017 World Press Freedom Index. Israel has no interest in actually improving the freedom of the press, but is happy to pay a small price to be able to pretend that it does so.

By accepting the sponsorship of the Israeli embassy you are providing the Israeli government with a cheap cover to distract from its real record. This record has been condemned by every credible report on human rights, from the US State Department to Human Rights Watch. This record includes a continued occupation, now in its 50th year, whereby millions of Palestinians live without basic rights, in addition to systematic discrimination of those Palestinians who are citizens of the state. Accepting Israeli sponsorship lends the Israeli government a much sought after distraction from its own human rights violations. It is the stated policy of the Israeli foreign ministry to use cultural events for such purposes. This creates a perverse situation whereby a human rights documentary film festival is used to perpetuate gross human rights violations.

For the sake of your reputation and for the sake of a minimal respect for human rights, please refuse to accept Israeli sponsorship of your festival.

Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within

(Aka Boycott from Within)