{"id":2083582,"date":"2023-10-30T05:24:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T09:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-criminals-here-are-not-hamas-meet-the-anti-semitic-artists-accusing-israel-of-war-crimes\/"},"modified":"2023-10-30T05:27:45","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T09:27:45","slug":"the-criminals-here-are-not-hamas-meet-the-anti-semitic-artists-accusing-israel-of-war-crimes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-criminals-here-are-not-hamas-meet-the-anti-semitic-artists-accusing-israel-of-war-crimes\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the artists accusing Israel of &#8216;war crimes&#8217; &#8211; but it&#8217;s not Hamas."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthe-criminals-here-are-not-hamas-meet-the-anti-semitic-artists-accusing-israel-of-war-crimes%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2083582&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Demonstrators March in Support of &#8220;Palestine&#8221; in New York City<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<figure><figcaption>Demonstrators march in support of &#8220;Palestine&#8221; on \u2063October 8, 2023 in New York City. (Adam Gray\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>Included\u200d among the British artists \u2062who signed\u2062 an\u2062 open letter accusing \u200bIsrael \u200bof \u200c&#8221;war crimes&#8221; are a number \u200cof anti-Semitic poets, writers, and\u2064 producers who have argued that the &#8220;criminals are not Hamas&#8221; \u2062and compared Israel to Nazi Germany.<\/p>\n<p>More than 2,000 artists\u2014including <em>Narnia<\/em> actress\u200d Tilda Swinton and <em>Tropic Thunder<\/em> actor Steve Coogan\u2014signed on to an Oct. 17 &#8220;Artists for Palestine UK&#8221; letter accusing\u200c Israel of &#8220;war crimes&#8221; and calling for an &#8220;immediate ceasefire&#8221; in Gaza. The letter, which did not mention\u200d or condemn Hamas&#8217;s terrorist\u200b slaughter of innocent Israelis, also featured support from a wide \u200darray\u200c of anti-Semites who\u2062 have defended\u2064 Hamas and accused Israel of\u2064 &#8220;deliberate and \u200bsystematic civilian killing.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Painter Aya Gamil, for example, in an \u200bOct.\u2064 18 Instagram post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cyiz1t2Lm0-\/?img_index=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shared<\/a> a photo that\u2064 compared \u2062Gaza to Auschwitz and said both \u200cIsrael\u200c and\u2063 Nazi Germany were founded on racial \u2062&#8221;supremacy.&#8221; &#8220;What&#8217;s happening in Gaza isn&#8217;t\u200b a war; it&#8217;s ethnic\u2062 cleansing, genocide, deliberate and \u2064systematic civilian killing,&#8221; Gamil said in her caption. Artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/farahhallaba\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Farah Hallaba<\/a> in early October shared a string of posts that called Israel a &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-criminals-here-are-not-hamas-meet-the-anti-semitic-artists-accusing-israel-of-war-crimes\/\" title=\"Meet the artists accusing Israel of 'war crimes' - but it's not Hamas.\">fascist colonial murderous\u2062 entity<\/a>&#8221; and argued that the &#8220;criminals&#8221; in the \u200congoing war in \u200dIsrael\u200d &#8220;are not\u200c Hamas.&#8221; \u200cFellow artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mona.e.eldin89\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mona Essam \u2064Eldin<\/a> after Hamas&#8217;s attack on the Jewish state shared a Facebook post that read, &#8220;May \u200cGod curse the Arab rulers,\u2064 Help\u200d Palestine, Fuck Israel, Fuck America.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The letter and its signatories reflect the explosion in anti-Semitic rhetoric and attacks seen in the United States \u200cand abroad following Hamas&#8217;s Oct. 7 terrorist \u2062assault on\u2062 Israel.\u200b Though the assault\u200b left at\u2064 least 1,300\u200d Israelis dead, including women and children, Israel&#8217;s retaliatory \u2063strikes have led to condemnation \u2064from celebrities through statements that failed to \u2063mention Hamas altogether.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Some of those celebrities have distanced themselves from the &#8220;Artists for Palestine UK&#8221; letter. <em>Outlander<\/em> actor Sam \u200bHeughan\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SamHeughan\/status\/1715058023847096493?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">apologized<\/a> for\u200c signing it, saying he &#8220;believed it was\u2063 a simple \u200ccall for\u2062 peace&#8221; but &#8220;it\u200b wasn&#8217;t.&#8221; Coogan responded to \u200ccriticism over the letter&#8217;s omission of Hamas by\u200d condemning the terrorist group, but the actor nonetheless <a href=\"https:\/\/www.standard.co.uk\/news\/politics\/hamas-steve-coogan-tilda-swinton-gaza-charles-dance-b1115165.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">defended<\/a> his\u200c decision to \u2063sign\u200b on\u2063 to the statement. Swinton has not addressed the omission.<\/p>\n<p>Representatives\u200c for Coogan\u2062 and \u2064Swinton\u2064 did\u2062 not return requests for comment.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>In addition to Gamil, Hallaba,\u200b and Eldin\u2014none of \u2063whom returned requests for comment\u2014the &#8220;Artists for Palestine UK&#8221;\u2064 letter \u2063featured support \u2064from Leniko Sennoma, a self-described &#8220;fine\u200b artist&#8221; whose Instagram features\u200c a post lamenting the &#8220;echoes&#8221; between Israeli \u2062rhetoric and &#8220;the Nazi\u2062 mythos of &#8216;blood and soil.'&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Poet Ali Al-Jamri, a fellow\u200b signatory, on \u2062the day of\u200b the Hamas assault shared\u200d a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Remroum\/status\/1710644026716688686\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">post<\/a> that \u200cblamed the\u200c attack \u200con Israel and said there were &#8220;no &#8216;both sides&#8217; argument&#8221; to the ensuing war. Signatory Sam Keogh \u2062similarly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Cya3lq1oVvk\/?hl=en&#038;img_index=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shared<\/a> \u2063 an article\u2062 that accused the Jewish people of distorting the Holocaust &#8220;to boost \u2064the Israeli arms industry&#8221; and\u2062 weaponizing accusations of anti-Semitism &#8220;to justify\u2064 Israeli\u2062 violence \u200cagainst Palestinians.&#8221; Another artist who signed\u2062 the letter, theater producer Mais\u2063 Robinson, shared an Oct. 7 post that called \u2063Hamas&#8217;s attack \u2062&#8221;self defense.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Al-Jamri, \u200bKeogh, and\u200b Robinson did not return\u2063 requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200b &#8220;Artists for Palestine in UK&#8221; letter\u2063 was not\u200b the only recent instance in which the art community \u200crallied against Israel. Two \u2064days after that letter&#8217;s\u200b release, <em>Artforum<\/em> magazine <a href=\"https:\/\/www.artforum.com\/columns\/open-letter-art-community-cultural-organizations-518019\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">published<\/a> an &#8220;open letter from the art community to cultural organizations&#8221; that accused Israel of &#8220;genocide.&#8221; Hallaba, Keogh, and Robinson also signed the <em>Artforum<\/em> \u200dletter, which\u2014like \u2063its\u200b &#8220;Artists for Palestine \u200cin UK&#8221; counterpart\u2014did not\u2063 mention Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>A number of prominent artists, \u2062including Scottish painter Peter \u2063Doig, went on to remove their names from \u200cthe\u2064 <em>Artforum<\/em> letter, which was updated on Oct. 23 with a note condemning\u200b &#8220;the horrific massacres of 1,400 people in Israel conducted by Hamas.&#8221; The magazine fired top editor David Velasco over the letter and said the decision \u2063to \u200cpublish\u200d it was \u200c&#8221;not consistent with\u200d <em>Artforum<\/em>&#8216;s editorial process.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Still, Velasco said he did not regret the\u2064 move,\u200b telling the <em>New York Times<\/em> he was\u2063 &#8220;disappointed that a magazine \u2062that has always stood for freedom of\u200d speech and the voices of \u200bartists\u2062 have\u2063 bent to outside\u200c pressure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><em>Charles Hilu and Alec Schemmel contributed to this \u200dreport.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How \u200bdoes comparing Israel to Nazi \u200cGermany <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/costumes-can-elicit-trauma-michigan-state-university-warns-students-about-halloween\/\" title=\"\u2018Costumes Can Elicit Trauma\u2019: Michigan State University Warns Students About Halloween\">perpetuate harmful stereotypes<\/a> and \u2062fuel hatred\u2064 against Jewish people?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Justifications&#8221; for Israel&#8217;s\u200c actions. \u2062Author and\u200d poet\u200d Ben \u2063Okri, who also signed the letter, has previously accused \u2062Israel\u200b of \u2063&#8221;state terrorism&#8221; and called for\u2063 the boycott of \u200dIsraeli\u2064 cultural institutions.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>These artists&#8217;\u200d participation in a letter that accuses\u200c Israel of &#8220;war crimes&#8221; \u2062while ignoring Hamas&#8217;s \u200cterrorist acts \u200bis deeply troubling. It reflects a dangerous trend of using art and culture as a \u200dplatform \u2064for spreading anti-Semitic rhetoric and propaganda. By comparing\u200d Israel to Nazi Germany, these \u2064individuals not only demonstrate a profound ignorance of history, but also perpetuate harmful stereotypes and fuel hatred against Jewish people.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>It is important to emphasize that criticizing Israeli government policies \u2064or expressing concerns \u2064about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is\u2062 not inherently anti-Semitic. \u200bHowever, when these criticisms \u2064cross\u2062 the\u2064 line into demonizing Israel and \u2063denying its\u200b right to exist, they become deeply problematic and contribute to a \u200dclimate of \u2063hostility towards Jewish people.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the omission\u200d of Hamas and\u200c its repeated acts of terrorism from the &#8220;Artists for Palestine UK&#8221; letter is a glaring\u200c example of selective outrage and a failure \u200cto hold all parties accountable for their actions. Hamas, recognized as a terrorist organization by numerous\u200b countries, consistently launches rockets at Israeli civilians and uses innocent Palestinians\u200b as human shields. By ignoring Hamas&#8217;s crimes, these artists undermine the pursuit of \u2063peace and reconciliation in the region.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>The role of artists in society is crucial, as \u200cthey have the \u2062power to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/elon-musk-others-blast-dove-for-hiring-blm-activist-who-wrecked-white-student-with-uncorroborated-accusations\/\" title=\"Elon Musk, along with others, criticizes Dove for hiring BLM activist accused of baseless accusations against a white student.\">shape public \u2062opinion<\/a> and influence hearts and minds. \u2062It is therefore imperative for \u2064artists\u200b to be responsible and educate themselves fully \u200con <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-democrats-discharge-biden-fed-nominee-with-history-of-black-lives-matter-bullying\/\" title=\"Senate Democrats Discharge Biden Fed Nominee with History of Black Lives Matter Bullying\">complex political issues<\/a> before engaging in public statements or supporting any \u200bcause. They must strive\u2064 to promote understanding, \u200bempathy, and \u200bdialogue rather than contributing \u200bto divisiveness, hatred, \u2062and \u200bmisinformation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>While everyone has the right to express their opinions, it is equally\u2062 important for \u2062the public to critically examine\u200c and challenge the \u2062narratives\u2063 put\u200b forward by artists and celebrities. Blindly accepting their views without scrutiny not only undermines critical\u200d thinking, but also allows harmful ideologies to flourish.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>We\u2064 must continue to foster an environment where open and \u2063respectful \u200cdiscussions can take place, \u200ballowing for diverse perspectives to\u200d be heard. It\u2063 is through\u200c constructive dialogue and\u2062 a commitment to understanding the complexities of the \u2062Israeli-Palestinian conflict that we can work towards a peaceful and just solution.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On October 8, 2023, demonstrators in New York City marched in support of &#8220;Palestine&#8221; (Adam Gray\/Getty Images). British artists, including anti-Semitic poets, writers, and producers, signed an open letter accusing Israel of &#8220;war crimes.&#8221; They controversially claimed that &#8220;criminals are not Hamas&#8221; and drew comparisons between Israel and Nazi actions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":176,"featured_media":2083583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2083582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2083582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2083582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2083582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2083583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2083582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2083582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2083582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}