Reposted from nothingchangeduntilfaced.com:
As artists, academics, writers and cultural workers who live in Germany and/or work with German cultural institutions, we welcome the joint initiative “GG 5.3. Weltoffenheit,” announced by a broad coalition of prominent German cultural institutions in Berlin on 10 December 2020.
The aforementioned initiative is a belated response to the contentious resolution adopted by German parliament in May 2019, via which the aims and methods of the Palestinian-led solidarity movement, ‘Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions’ (BDS), were formally condemned as antisemitic, leading to a cross-party decision to cut off public funding for projects that “actively support” the BDS movement. The statement criticises this parliamentary resolution, describing it as “dangerous.” We share this concern and view the resolution’s curtailment of the right to boycott as a violation of democratic principles. Since being passed, the resolution has been instrumentalized to distort, malign and silence marginalized positions, in particular those which defend Palestinian rights or are critical of the Israeli occupation.
We urge the German parliament to heed the findings of the European Court of Human Rights, which recently rejected the criminalization of boycotts directed against Israel, ruling clearly against the prosecution of non-violent activists and affirming boycott as a legitimate exercise of freedom of expression (June 2020). No state should be exempt from criticism. Regardless of whether we support BDS or not, as signatories of this letter we share an insistent belief in the right to exercise non-violent pressure on governments that violate human rights.
We reject the German parliamentary resolution because it is this very right which it denies. We reject it because it has exacerbated polarization within the cultural community at a time when the rise of right-wing nationalism calls for us to join in solidarity to combat the surge of hatred that is increasingly prevalent both within Germany’s borders and beyond. We reject it because it has effectively thrown a blanket of censorship over public institutions at precisely the moment when the richly diverse community that is active in Germany, has a valuable role to play in forging a critical and inclusive culture, as an alternative to the authoritarianism, racism and xenophobia that the far right is intent on entrenching.
The resolution has created a repressive climate in which cultural workers are routinely asked to formally renounce BDS, as a prerequisite for working in Germany. Meanwhile, cultural institutions are increasingly driven by fear and paranoia, prone to acts of self-censorship and to pre-emptively de-platforming and excluding critical positions. Open debate around Germany’s past and present responsibilities in relation to Israel/Palestine has been all but suffocated. Forums of cultural exchange in which we previously came together to reflect upon and debate the entangled histories that we emerge from and exist within, are routinely denied, as institutions anxiously seek to avoid political censure and the loss of public funding. In this climate, a number of valuable voices—such as those of Achille Mbembe, Kamila Shamsie, Peter Schäfer, Nirit Sommerfeld and Walid Raad—have already been demonised, obstructing a necessary collective reckoning with the intersecting forces of violence that continue to shape our present.
The resolution is indifferent to the diversity of Jewish opinions both within and beyond Germany; in particular, to the many leftist Jewish and Israeli voices that are vehemently critical of Israel’s well-documented violations of international law. Such voices are, astonishingly—and with increasing frequency—invalidated as ‘antisemitic.’ The resolution additionally disregards warnings issued by foreign policy experts, human rights organisations and German foundations that are directly engaged in the Middle East, many of whom have firmly opposed the problematic manner in which the resolution conflates criticism of Israel with anti-Jewish racism. This conflation shields Israel from being held accountable to standards of international law, and obscures the historical and political circumstances that gave rise to the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and equality. It also distracts detrimentally from the ongoing fight against the virulent growth of antisemitism across the globe, including within Germany’s parliament, police force, army and intelligence services.
We acknowledge and deeply value Germany’s ongoing commitment to atoning for the Holocaust. At the same time, we condemn the negligence of the German state when it comes to recognizing and atoning for Germany’s past as a perpetrator of colonial violence. The fight against antisemitism cannot be conveniently decoupled from parallel struggles against Islamophobia, racism and fascism. We emphatically reject the monopolization of narratives of oppression by states such as Germany, which have historically been perpetrators of oppression. We reject the notion that the suffering and trauma of victims of political and historical violence can be measured and ranked.
In solidarity with the cultural institutions that have spoken out before us, we call on German parliament to withdraw the controversial resolution. We call on these institutions to follow their statement with meaningful action. We ask them to lead the way in restoring conditions under which the productive exchange of divergent opinions can occur. Over-zealous monitoring of the political views of cultural workers from the Middle East and Global South, must be seen for what it is—back-door racial profiling—and immediately discontinued. The maligning of individuals by means of baseless charges of antisemitism must stop.
We close with the words of James Baldwin, an astute critic of the evils of the Holocaust, as well as of the horrors of slavery, colonialism and racism:
“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
First Signatories
- Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Artist, Beirut/Dubai
- Tal Adler, Artist, Berlin
- Elena Agudio, Art Historian + Curator, Berlin
- Haig Aivazian, Artist + Director of Beirut Art Center, Beirut
- Antonia Alampi, Curator, Berlin
- Khyam Allami, Musician, Berlin/London
- Udi Aloni, Filmmaker, New York
- Maria Thereza Alves, Artist, Berlin/Naples
- Heba Y. Amin, Artist, Berlin
- Fahim Amir, Philosopher + Author, Vienna
- Yazid Anani, Scholar + Curator, Ramallah
- Ayreen Anastas, Artist, New York
- Angela Anderson, Artist + Researcher, Berlin
- Arjun Appadurai, Professor, Institute for European Ethnology, Humboldt-Universität, Berlin
- Julieta Aranda, Artist + Editor of e-flux journal, Berlin
- Fareed Armaly, Artist, Berlin
- Inke Arns, Curator, Director of HMKV Hartware MedienKunstVerein, Dortmund
- Marwa Arsanios, Artist, Berlin
- Aleida Assman, Professor, University of Konstanz, Konstanz
- Defne Ayas, Curator, Berlin
- Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, Brown University, Providence
- Sindre Bangstad, Research Professor, KIFO, Oslo
- Khaled Barakeh, Artist + Cultural Activist, Berlin
- Yael Bartana, Artist, Berlin/Amsterdam
- Shumon Basar, Writer/Curator, Berlin/Dubai
- Bashir Bashir, Associate Professor of Political Theory, The Open University of Israel, Raanana
- Florian Becker, Bard College Berlin, Berlin
- Jérôme Bel, Choreographer, Paris
- Irad Ben Isaak, Scholar of Yiddish Literature + Culture, Selma Stern Zentrum für Jüdische Studien Berlin-Brandenburg, Berlin
- Lene Berg, Artist, Berlin/Oslo
- Omar Berrada, Writer + Curator, New York
- María Berríos, Curator, 11th Berlin Biennale, Berlin/Copenhagen
- Louise Bethlehem, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Hod Hasharon
- Ursula Biemann, Artist, Zurich
- Rossella Biscotti, Artist, Rotterdam/Brussels
- Katinka Bock, Artist, Paris
- Omri Boehm, Associate Professor of Philosophy, New School for Social Research, New York
- Monica Bonvicini, Artist, Berlin
- Shannon Bool, Artist, Berlin
- Pauline Boudry, Artist, Berlin
- Daniel Boyarin, Professor of Talmud / AvH Senior Preisträger, Freie Universität Berlin, Berkeley
- Candice Breitz, Artist, Berlin
- AA Bronson, Artist, Berlin
- Adam Broomberg, Artist, Berlin
- Micha Brumlik, Professor + Senior Advisor: Selma Stern Zentrum für jüdische Studien Berlin-Brandenburg, Berlin
- Erik Bünger, Artist, Berlin
- Federica Bueti, Writer + Researcher, Berlin
- Paolo Caffoni, Editor + Researcher, Berlin
- Banu Cennetoğlu, Artist, Istanbul
- Peter Chametzky, Professor, University of South Carolina, Columbia
- Marco Clausen, Cultural Worker, Berlin
- Steven Cohen, Artist, Lille/Johannesburg
- Alon Confino, Pen Tishkach Chair of Holocaust Studies, Professor of History and Jewish Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- Eli Cortiñas, Artist, Berlin
- Alice Creischer, Artist, Berlin
- Iftikhar Dadi, Associate Professor, Cornell University, Ithaca
- Jesse Darling, Artist, Berlin/London
- Ekaterina Degot, Director + Chief Curator, Steirischer Herbst, Graz
- T. J. Demos, Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz
- Elsa De Seynes, Cultural Worker, Berlin
- Janneke de Vries, Director of Weserburg Museum for Modern Art, Bremen
- Diedrich Diederichsen, Professor, Akademie der bildenden Künste, Vienna
- Stephen Dillemuth, Artist, Munich
- Esther Dischereit, Poet + Writer, Berlin
- Discoteca Flaming Star , Artist Collective, Berlin
- Sabrina Dittus, Filmmaker, Berlin
- Gürsoy Doğtaş, Art Historian, Universität für angewandte Kunst, Vienna
- Pauline Doutreluingne, Curator, Berlin
- Nika Dubrovsky, Artist, David Graeber’s Museum of Care Foundation, London
- Sam Durant, Artist, Berlin/Los Angeles
- Jimmie Durham, Artist, Berlin/Naples
- Övül Ö. Durmusoglu, Curator, Writer + Educator, Berlin
- Madhusree Dutta, Filmmaker + Curator, currently Artistic Director: Akademie der Künste der Welt, Cologne
- Kerstin Egert, DJ + Producer, Berlin
- Anna Ehrenstein, Artist, Berlin/Tirana
- Galit Eilat, Curator, Interdependent Writer + Curator, Director of Meduza Foundation, Amsterdam
- Antke Antek Engel, Institut für Queer Theory, Berlin
- Köken Ergun, Artist, Istanbul
- Ayse Erkmen, Artist, Berlin/Istanbul
- Charles Esche, Professor + Museum Director, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven
- Theo Eshetu, Artist + Filmmaker, Berlin
- Kodwo Eshun, Artist, Filmmaker + Theorist, Berlin/London
- Reem Fadda, Curator, Ramallah
- Nathan Fain, Independent Theatre Maker, Berlin
- Silvia Federici, Scholar + Teacher + Activist, New York
- Dror Feiler, Composer + Artist, Stockholm
- Chiara Figone, Publisher / Archive, Berlin
- Mahdi Fleifel, Film Director, Copenhagen
- iLiana Fokianaki, Curator + Theorist, Director: State of Concept, Athens/Rotterdam
- Forensic Architecture / Forensis , London/Berlin
- Rike Frank, Curator, Berlin
- Will Fredo Furtado, Artist, Writer + Editor, Berlin
- Dani Gal, Artist, Berlin
- Katharina Galor, Professor, Berlin
- Tomer Gardi, Writer, Berlin
- Karam Ghossein, Filmmaker, Berlin
- Nida Ghouse, Writer, Berlin
- Sander Gilman, Distinguished Professor of the Liberal Arts + Sciences / Professor of Psychiatry: Emory University, Atlanta
- Natasha Ginwala, Writer + Curator, Berlin/Colombo
- Amos Goldberg, Professor, Department of Jewish History + Contemporary Jewry, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem
- Avery Gordon, Writer, London
- Raphaël Grisey, Artist, Berlin
- Assaf Gruber, Artist, Berlin
- Krist Gruijthuijsen, Curator + Director, KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin
- Ayşe Güleç, Educator, Curator + Activist Researcher, Kassel
- Emanuele Guidi, Curator + Artistic Director, ar/ge kunst Bolzano, Berlin
- Hans Haacke, Artist, New York
- Yassin al Haj Saleh, Writer + Political Dissident, Berlin
- Dorothea von Hantelmann, Art Historian, Bard College Berlin, Berlin
- Donna Haraway, University of California, Santa Cruz
- Shuruq Harb, Artist, Ramallah
- Carl Hegemann, Professor Emeritus, Philosophy + Dramaturgy, Berlin
- Nanna Heidenreich, Scholar + Curator, Berlin
- Mathilde ter Heijne, Artist + Professor / Universität der Künste, Berlin
- Jörg Heiser, Professor, Universität der Künste, Berlin
- Louis Henderson, Artist, Berlin
- Samia Henni, Historian, Educator + Exhibition-Maker, Zurich
- Tobias Hering, Curator, Berlin
- Wieland Hoban, Composer + Translator, Frankfurt
- Gil Z. Hochberg, Professor, Columbia University, New York
- Tom Holert, Writer, Berlin
- Laura Horelli, Artist, Berlin
- Emma Waltraud Howes, Artist, Berlin
- Nataša Ilić, Curator, What, How and for Whom / WHW, Berlin
- Çağla Ilk, Curator, Berlin
- Eva Illouz, Professor of Sociology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
- Amal Issa, Director of Public Programs, e-flux, New York
- Shahira Issa, Artist, Hamburg
- Muhammad Jabali, Artist + Writer, Berlin
- Stine Marie Jacobsen, Artist, Berlin
- Anna Jäger, Cultural Worker + Translator, Berlin
- Sarah E. James, Art Historian + Gerda Henkel Fellow, Frankfurt am Main
- Pauline Curnier Jardin, Artist, Berlin
- Anne Duk Hee Jordan, Artist, Berlin
- Liad Hussein Kantorowicz, Artist, Berlin
- Mariana Karkoutly, Syrian Legal Criminal Investigator, Berlin
- Nina Katchadourian, Artist + Professor, NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Berlin/New York
- Thomas Keenan, Professor, New York
- Lara Khalidi, Curator, Amsterdam/Jerusalem
- Yazan Khalili, Artist, Amsterdam
- Sami Khatib, Philosopher, Visiting Researcher at Leuphana University, Berlin
- Elias Khoury, Writer, Beirut
- Grada Kilomba, Artist, Berlin
- Thomas Kilpper, Artist + Professor, Bergen University Faculty of Art, Music + Design, Bergen
- Caroline Kirberg, Filmmaker & Producer, Berlin
- Vika Kirchenbauer, Artist, Berlin
- Maya Klar, Filmmaker, Berlin
- Adam Kleinman, Writer + Curator, New York
- Brian Klug, University of Oxford, Oxford
- Erden Kosova, Art Critic, Berlin/Istanbul
- Prem Krishnamurthy, Designer + Curator, Berlin/New York
- Brian Kuan Wood, Editor + Writer, New York
- Raimund Kummer, Artist, Berlin
- Brigitta Kuster, Cultural Producer + Junior Professor, Humboldt-Universität, Berlin
- Nadav Lapid, Filmmaker + Writer, Tel Aviv
- Kristina Leko, Artist + Educator, Universität der Künste, Berlin
- Boaz Levin, Writer + Curator, Berlin
- Justin Lieberman, Artist, Munich
- Elisa Liepsch, Performing Arts Programmer, Brussels
- Matthias Lilienthal, Dramaturg, Berlin
- Thomas Locher, Artist + Rector: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst , Leipzig
- Siddhartha Lokanandi, Bookseller, Berlin
- Renate Lorenz, Artist, Berlin
- Sven Lütticken, Art Historian, Utrecht
- Maha Maamoun, Artist, Curator + Publisher, Berlin/Cairo
- Wietske Maas, Curator, BAK, basis voor actuele kunst, Berlin/Utrecht
- Jens Maier Roethe, Film Producer, Berlin
- Antonia Majaca, Writer + Curator, Berlin
- Antje Majewski, Artist + Professor, Berlin
- Jumana Manna, Artist, Berlin
- Jaleh Mansoor, Associate Professor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
- Renzo Martens, Artist, Amsterdam
- Mattin (Martin Artiach), Artist, Berlin
- Tom McCarthy, Novelist, Berlin
- Bjørn Melhus, Artist, Berlin
- Angela Melitopoulos, Artist, Berlin
- Chantal Meloni, Lawyer + International Criminal Law Professor, Berlin/Milan
- Eva Menasse, Novelist, Berlin
- Doreen Mende, Curator, Writer + Theorist, Berlin/Geneva
- Jasmina Metwaly, Artist, Berlin
- Eva Meyer, Writer, Berlin
- Markus Miessen, Architect + Writer, Berlin
- Ana María Millán, Artist, Berlin
- Zoë Claire Miller, Artist, Berlin
- Nicholas Mirzoeff, Professor, New York University, New York
- Carmen Mörsch, Professor for Art Education, Mainz Art Academy, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz
- Elke aus dem Moore, Director, Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart
- Alexandra Murray-Leslie, Artist, Trondheim
- Sina Najafi, Editor-in-Chief, Cabinet Magazine, Berlin/New York
- Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Curator, Berlin/Bamenda
- Dalia Neis, Writer + Musician + Educator, Berlin
- Marcel Odenbach, Artist, Cologne
- Pınar Öğrenci, Artist + Lecturer, Berlin
- Ahmet Öğüt, Artist, Berlin/Amsterdam
- Vanessa Ohlraun, Rector, Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig, Braunschweig
- Wendelien van Oldenborgh, Artist, Berlin/Rotterdam
- Hagar Ophir, Artist, Berlin
- Uriel Orlow, Artist, Lisbon/London
- Tanja Ostojić, Artist, Berlin
- Ulrike Ottinger, Filmmaker, Berlin
- Matteo Pasquinelli, Professor in Media Philosophy, University of Arts and Design, Karlsruhe
- Hila Peleg, Curator, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin
- Agustín Pérez Rubio, Curator, 11th Berlin Biennale, Berlin
- Dan Perjovschi, Artist, Bucharest
- Manfred Pernice, Artist + Professor / Universität der Künste, Berlin
- Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, Interdependent Curator, Paris
- Ana Teixeira Pinto, Guest Professor of Media Philosophy, HfG Karlsruhe, Berlin
- Alexandra Pirici, Artist, Bucharest
- Agnieszka Polska, Artist, Berlin
- Matthew Post, Post Brothers, Curator, Munich/Bialystok
- Luiza Prado de O. Martins, Artist, Berlin
- Paul B. Preciado, Writer + Curator, Pogetto
- Charlotte Prodger, Artist, Glasgow
- Pary El-Qalqili, Writer + Film Director, Berlin
- Judy Radul, Professor of Art, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver
- Rachael Rakes, Curator, BAK, basis voor actuele kunst, Utrecht
- Michael Rakowitz, Artist, Chicago
- Milo Rau, Director + Author, Ghent/Cologne
- Judith Raum, Artist , Berlin
- Nora Razian, Curator, Dubai
- Juliane Rebentisch, Professor of Philosophy, Offenbach/Frankfurt
- Patricia Reed, Writer + Artist, Berlin
- David Riff, Artist + Curator, Berlin
- Philip Rizk, Filmmaker, Berlin
- Jacqueline Rose, Professor of Humanities + Co-Director, Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, London
- Roee Rosen, Artist, Bnei Zion
- Martha Rosler, Artist, New York
- Michael Rothberg, Professor, University of California, Los Angeles
- Romy Rüegger, Artist + Writer, Berlin
- David Rych, Artist, Berlin
- Susanne Sachsse, Actress, Berlin
- Natascha Sadr Haghighian, Artist, Berlin
- Alon Sahar, Filmmaker, Berlin
- Anjalika Sagar, The Otolith Group, London
- Ivana Sajko, Writer, Berlin
- Anri Sala, Artist, Berlin
- Mohammad Salemy, Artist, The New Centre for Research & Practice, Berlin
- Rasha Salti, Writer + Curator, Berlin/Beirut
- Karin Sander, Artist + Academic, Berlin
- Regina Sarreiter, Cultural Worker + Anthropologist, Berlin
- Aura Satz, Artist, Royal College of Art, London
- Eran Schaerf, Artist, Berlin
- Miriam Schickler, Cultural Worker, Berlin
- Stefanie Schulte Strathaus, Film Curator, Berlin
- Alya Sebti, Curator, Berlin
- Ashkan Sepahvand, Writer + Artist, Berlin/Oxford
- Reem Shadid, Curator/Researcher, Ramallah
- Nizan Shaked, California State University, Long Beach
- Tai Shani, Artist, London
- Basma Al-Sharif, Artist, Berlin
- Mati Shemoelof, Writer, Berlin
- Marc Siegel, Film Scholar, Berlin
- Andreas Siekmann, Artist, Berlin
- Nicolas Siepen, Artist, Berlin
- Katharina Sieverding, Artist + Professor of Visual Culture Studies, Düsseldorf
- Joshua Simon, Curator + Writer, Philadelphia/Tel Aviv-Jaffa
- Siska , Visual Artist + Musician, Berlin
- Slavs and Tatars , Artist Collective, Berlin
- Mounira Al Solh, Artist + Professor, Kunsthochschule Kassel, Beirut/Amsterdam
- Lili Sommerfeld, Musician, Berlin
- Mari Spirito, Director + Curator, Protocinema, Istanbul/New York
- Anna-Sophie Springer, Curator, Author + Publisher, Berlin
- Jonas Staal, Artist, Athens/Amsterdam
- Klaus Staeck, Artist, Heidelberg
- Maximilian Steinbeis, Chief Editor, Verfassungsblog, Berlin
- Bettina Steinbrügge, Director, Hamburg
- Eva Stenram, Artist, Berlin
- Angelika Stepken, Curator + Director of Villa Romana, Florence
- Young-jun Tak, Artist + Editor, Berlin/Seoul
- Kathy-Ann Tan, Curator + Writer, Berlin
- Hadas Tapouchi, Artist, Berlin
- Michael Taussig, Professor Emeritus, Columbia University, New York
- Mark Terkessidis, Writer, Berlin
- Wibke Tiarks, Artist, Berlin
- Jonas Tinius, Social Anthropologist, Berlin
- Christine Tohme, Founding Director, Ashkal Alwan, Beirut
- Oraib Toukan, Artist, Berlin
- Vassilis S. Tsianos, Professor, Fachhochschule Kiel, Kiel
- Margarita Tsomou, Professor + Curator, Berlin
- Peter Ullrich, Senior Researcher, Technische Universität Berlin / Fellow at the Zentrum für Antisemitismusforschung, Berlin
- Tanya Ury, Artist + Writer, Cologne
- Françoise Vergès, Political Theorist, Decolonial + Antiracist Feminist, Paris
- Jan Verwoert, Writer + Educator, Berlin
- Eyal Vexler, Cultural Producer, Berlin
- Anton Vidokle, Artist + Editor of e-flux journal, Berlin/New York
- Danh Vō, Artist, Berlin/Mexico City
- Shira Wachsmann, Artist, Berlin
- Caleb Waldorf, Artist, Berlin
- Haytham Al-Wardany, Writer, Berlin
- Julian Warner, Cultural Anthropologist, Munich
- Joanna Warsza, Curator, Berlin
- Stephanie Weber, Art Historian, Munich
- Eyal Weizman, Architect, London/Berlin
- Christine Würmell, Artist, Berlin
- Misal Adnan Yıldız, Curator, Berlin
- Yehudit Yinhar, Artist, Berlin
- Moshe Zimmermann, Historian + Former director of the Richard Koebner Minerva Center for German History, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
- Tirdad Zolghadr, Curator, Berlin
- Himmat Zu’bi, Scholar, EUME / Forum Transregionale Studien, Berlin
- Moshe Zuckermann, Professor, Institute for the History + Philosophy of Science + Ideas, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv