Both Should Come Together: Response to Open Letter from the Art Community to Cultural Organizations

There should be no contradiction between staunchly opposing the Israeli occupation and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and unequivocally condemning brutal acts of violence against innocent civilians in Israel. A letter from members of the Art community addressing the OPEN LETTER FROM THE ART COMMUNITY TO CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS

We, members of the art community, are saddened and disappointed by the OPEN LETTER FROM THE ART COMMUNITY TO CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, published in several major art magazines, such as Artforum, Hyperallergic, and ArtLeaks, and by the blatant lack of any mention of the heinous massacre carried out by Hamas in the south of Israel on October 7th. The letter was signed by many colleagues and friends, individuals with whom we share many ideals and common struggles. The omission of any substantive acknowledgment and condemnation of Hamas’s acts has added to the deep sadness, trauma, and despair that we are experiencing in the wake of October 7th.

On that bloody day, Israeli Jews, Palestinian citizens of Israel, and foreign nationals, were indiscriminately murdered and abducted. The massacre of hundreds at a rave, the rape, brutalization, the mutilation of bodies, torturing of children, the wiping out of entire families, the killing of medical workers, cannot be described as anything less than a crime against humanity. 

What’s most upsetting is the complete absence of any mention of over 200 people kidnapped, most of them civilians, including babies, children, old and sick people. Those who signed the letter demand a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons. But, in the letter, the hostages are not part of the humanity they are appealing for. By omission, they are legitimizing the abduction of civilians. Yes, we accept and support calls for ending the violence, supporting Palestinian liberation, putting an end to the occupation (as we have for years), and the cessation of the killing of civilians in Gaza and elsewhere. By ignoring the rights of all who live in Israel, It is as if those who signed the letter are dehumanizing all of those who live in Israel, the 9 million people who have a right to exist.

To delve into the details of Gaza and then make only a general statement that condemns violence from all sides without giving any room to the horrors of October 7th, undermines the moral stance taken by the letter’s signatories. The fight for liberation and freedom could be a shared effort involving all who believe in these principles, fighting together to achieve them. It’s vital to acknowledge the suffering of everyone rather than adhering to extremist fundamentalist ideologies, which have brought us to this harrowing point in time.

There should be no contradiction between staunchly opposing the Israeli occupation and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and unequivocally condemning brutal acts of violence against innocent civilians in Israel;

both should come together.

(link to OPEN LETTER: https://www.artforum.com/columns/open-letter-art-community-cultural-organizations-518019/)

1. Mierle Laderman Ukeles
2. Rivka Saker
3. Zoya Cherkassky
4. Daniel Libeskind
5. Hito Steyerl
6. Ron Arad
7. Prof Dr Jörg Heiser
8. Martha Rosler
9. Zoe Buckman
10. Dan Perjovschi
11. Prof Dr Dorothee Richter
12. Johann König
13. Daniel Richter
14. Dana Yahalomi
15. Dennis Scholl
16. Doreet LeVitte Harten
17. Sebastian Muehl
18. Oliver Hirschbiegel
19. Šárka Basjuk Koudelová
20. Michaela Melián
21. Drorit Gur Arie
22. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett
23. Ira Eduardovna
24. Tal R
25. Mohammad Salemy
26. MiKi Lazar
27. Mia Habib
28. Andreas Siekmann
29. Michal Heiman
30. Ivor Stodolsky
31. Dmitry Vilensky
32. Martin Köttering
33. David Neuman
34. Adi Nes
35. Ronen Eidelman
36. Yonatan Amir
37. Yancey Richardson
38. Gerhard Haase-Hindenberg
39. Roee Rosen
40. Nirith Nelson
41. Larry Abramson
42. Aya Lurie
43. Aya Ben Ron
44. Tsibi Geva
45. Nahum Tevet
46. Hannan Abu-Hussein
47. Tyler Emerson-Dorsch
48. Elham Rokni
49. Ilit Azoulay
50. Yael Bartana
51. Olga Tsaplya Egorova
52. Soraya Nazarian
53. Avi Lubin
54. Nira Pereg
55. Tomer Sapir
56. Hadas Reshef
57. Tami Notsani
58. Ruth Patir
59. Elad Rosen
60. Yael Ferber
61. Gillian Laub
62. Sala-manca
63. Goni Riskin
64. Milana Gitzin Adiram
65. Neta Riskin
66. Ella maor
67. Oliver Marchart
68. Anat Keinan
69. Dan Robert Lahiani
70. Udi Edelman
71. Sophie Pearlstein
72. Robert Shub
73. Laurie Ziegler
74. Elie Rizel
75. Daniela Amitai
76. Danny First
77. Helen N. Lewis
78. Monica Goldberg
79. Arushi Kapoor
80. Yael Kanarek
81. Scott Ziegler
82. Carol Saper
83. Leon Levy Blohm
84. Günter Reznicek
85. Yasmin Gee
86. Noa Wynn
87. Tamara Mozyes
88. Tali Kayam
89. Lior Zalmanson
90. Tom Pnini
91. Yael Frank
92. Ivet Reyes Maturano
93. Ruth Oppenheim
94. Lori Spector
95. Inbal Nissim
96. Svetlana Reingold
97. Brendan Mahoney
98. Jonathan Gold
99. Dana Yoeli
100. Hadas Zemer Ben-Ari

Full list of signatures and if you agree to add yours HERE.