The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), Australia’s leading organisation fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred, has strongly criticised the organisers of the SA government supported Womadelaide world music and dance festival for allowing the event to be used a forum to peddle an unabashed anti-Israel agenda. During the festival, the group Peace for Palestine was allocated a stall from which they handed out flyers promoting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement in Australia, naming specific Israeli and multinational companies, and calling on Australians to “boycott Israeli products, cultural and academic events, divest from Israeli companies and companies that support Israel’s trade with Australia”. The flyers also labelled Israel and apartheid state and accused her of stealing land from the Palestinians. Most troubling was an image at the bottom of one of the flyers. Below the statement “Use your freedom, Free Palestine” it featured a picture of a man holding a rifle with the caption underneath, “End the occupation.” A festival goer who spoke to one of the representatives at the Peace for Palestine stall was told that HAMAS was only a terrorist group when killing innocent people in other Arab countries, but not when killing innocent Jews and Israelis in Israel.
A full list of sponsors of the festival can be found here
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“Who would have thought that Womadelaide would become the place where an open season on Israel would be openly declared and that anti-Semitism would rear its ugly head. It is deplorable that this music and dance festival had been hijacked by anti-Israel propagandists who turned it into a hate-fest that demonised, degraded and delegitimised the Jewish state. It is also troubling that the organisers felt it appropriate to not only turn a blind eye to such incendiary and inflammatory flyers, but provided Peace for Palestine with a convenient platform to widely promote the vehemently anti-Semitic BDS movement and to defame Israel as an apartheid state. The ultimate goal of the BDS is to destroy the Jewish state, and impedes, rather that embraces peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Labelling Israel an apartheid state Israel is a vicious slander identified as an expression and manifestation of modern anti-Semitism. It is shocking that such divisive and malicious material, which has become the weapon of choice for those who wish to malign and scapegoat Israel, was allowed to poison and infect the spirit of the gathering. It is not surprising that many festival goers felt uncomfortable and unsafe.
It takes no great leap of the imagination to see that the inclusion of the image of the man armed with a rifle who is urged to ‘Free Palestine’ can only be described as a thinly veiled endorsement, justification and rationalisation of armed struggle and is tantamount to encouraging those who read the flyer to embrace violence against the Jewish state and its supporters as an acceptable path of action. This type of a call to arms is a frightening and serious cause for concern. From the horrific terrorist attacks around the world, to the ‘lone wolf’ killing of Curtis Cheng and the foiled terrorist plots in Australia, we know that incitement can spread like wildfire and has dangerous consequences.
Over the last few years, Palestinians have stabbed and killed scores of Israelis and injured hundreds as a result of a culture of incitement and hate. The murderous assaults against Jewish communities worldwide, the heartbreaking Paris and Brussels tragedies which are beyond condemnation, and the campaign to radicalise and recruit young people by ISIS, are a stark reminder of the need to forcefully counter any hateful rhetoric that foments an environment in which terrorism can breed and which invites extremists to step in with violent action.
Australia is a country that cherishes respect for all people and cultures, and no festival should ever serve as a vehicle to justify and glorify hostility and hatred against Jews and Israel. I call on festival organisers to apologise for this gross error in judgement and to ensure that no group who incites and spews hatred in furtherance of their twisted cause will be allowed to present at Womadelaide in the future. We also urge the South Australian government and all sponsors to live up to their commitment to inclusiveness and multiculturalism and to guarantee that such regrettable episodes do not happen again.”
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on 9272 5677.