“We are deeply troubled to learn of a McCarthyite campaign demanding Oxford University cancel a public event with director Ken Loach discussing his distinguished career in film. The campaign to….
“We are deeply troubled to learn of a McCarthyite campaign demanding Oxford University cancel a public event with director Ken Loach discussing his distinguished career in film. The campaign to silence a world-renowned artist, which has been active behind the scenes and which became public at the last minute, is using the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism to try to prevent a cultural event from taking place. If any further evidence were needed to demonstrate how a vaguely worded definition is being deployed to silence critics of Israeli policy towards Palestinians — then this is it. We have been warned by respected Palestinian academics, Israeli scholars, leading experts on antisemitism, dozens of progressive Jewish groups, and others that this definition is being used as a political weapon. We cannot fight racism, including antisemitism, by demonising and silencing supporters of Palestinian rights.”
Signed:
Hany Abu-Assad, filmmaker
Raed Andoni, filmmaker
Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian parliamentarian, scholar and civil society leader
Nahed Awwad, filmmaker
Victoria Brittain, journalist, author, playwright
Judith Butler, philosopher and gender theorist
David Calder, actor
Dame Carmen Callil, publisher, editor
Julie Christie, actor
Caryl Churchill, playwright
Steve Coogan, actor, comedian, producer
Dror Dayan, filmmaker, senior lecturer
Raymond Deane, composer, author
Esther Ruth Elliott, actor, director
Brian Eno, musician, producer
Peter Gabriel, musician, founder Womad music festival
Tony Graham, theatre director
Ohal Grietzer, composer and mixed-media performer
Barbara Harvey, civil rights and labor lawyer
Trevor Hoyle, novelist and radio dramatist
Ronnie Kasrils, former South African Government Minister
Mike Leigh, screenwriter, director
Zwelivelile “Mandla” Mandela, South African Parliamentarian
Jean Said Makdissi, writer
Samir Makdissi, Professor Emeritus of Economics, AUB
Kika Markham, actor
Mai Masri, filmmaker
Thurston Moore, musician
David Morrisey, actor
Rebecca O’Brien, producer
Ruth Padel, poet
Maxine Peake, actor
Mark Rylance, actor
Alexei Sayle, comedian
Eyal Sivan, filmmaker
Rosemary Sayigh, journalist and scholar
Ahdaf Soueif, author, founder PalFest
Rima Tarazi, Palestinian pianist, composer and social activist
Harriet Walter, actor
Roger Waters, musician
Samuel West, actor, director
Rabbi Alissa Wise, deputy director of Jewish Voice for Peace