Israeli Embassy sponsorship prompts withdrawals from Sydney Festival

At least three arts organisations have pulled out of the upcoming Sydney Festival in protest at a sponsorship deal with the Israeli Embassy.

The protests, backed by a coalition of Arab and pro-Palestinian organisations and assorted artists and academics, are over a $20,000 sponsorship deal to stage a production of the Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s Decadance by the Sydney Dance Company.

As reported by Guardian Australia, Blake Prize-winning artist Khaled Sabsabi, Malyangapa and Barkindji rapper Barkaa, South Asian dance company Bindi Bosses, the Arab Theatre Studio, the Bankstown poetry slam and comedian Nazeem Hussain have pulled out of the 2022 Festival.

According to a statement released on Wednesday by the Palestinian Justice Movement Sydney, the sponsorship deal was sealed in May, the same month Israeli armed forces launched a series of air attacks on Gaza, killing a number of Palestinian civilians.

The statement advised “Palestine advocates call on all opponents of apartheid to boycott the 2022 Sydney Festival.

“By partnering with Israel, (the) Sydney Festival will … contribute to the normalisation of an apartheid state.”

In an open letter published on the Meanjin website on Thursday, a coalition of artists and writers said that they considered the Sydney Festival’s continued partnership with the Israeli Embassy was “disgraceful” and accused the festival of “creating a culturally unsafe environment for Arab artists and audiences who want to be part of the festival but who now cannot, in good conscience, participate as they bear witness to the slaughter, occupation and oppression of Palestinians”.

In a statement provided to Guardian Australia on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Sydney Festival said it would not be terminating its agreement with the Israeli embassy.

The spokesperson explained “the festival is unwavering in its commitment to ensuring a culturally safe space for all artists, employees and audiences (and we) will be reviewing all funding arrangements with embassies and cultural organisations to ensure that any continuance of these partnerships are compatible with maintaining a welcoming and culturally safe environment moving forward.”

In an earlier statement last week, the Sydney festival board said it was unable to support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement as requested by the coalition (which includes the Arab Australian Federation, Greens for Palestine, Independent Australian Jewish Voices, Jews against the Occupation Sydney, the Sydney representative for BDS and United Australian Palestinian Workers) because the festival was a non-profit, non-political organisation.

Image: Ohad Naharin’s Decadance. Credit: Sydney Dance Company/Sydney Festival.