A group of UK-based Jewish artists and creatives have claimed that the phrase ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ is not inherently antisemitic in a new guidance designed to combat Jew-hate in the sector.
The five-page text, titled Courage and Care: Guidelines on confronting antisemitism and censorship in the arts and published by Jewish Artists UK, has been endorsed by over 100 signatories since its release earlier this month, including Jewish artists, musicians, theatre-makers, filmmakers, and writers, and includes sections on what antisemitism does and does not look like when presented in the arts sector.
However, in the section covering what antisemitism does not look like, which opens by stressing that “art must not be censored under a false guise of protecting against antisemitism”, the oft-maligned phrase ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ – which some have understood as a call for the destruction of the Jewish state – is cited as an example of something which, on its own, is not antisemitic and “should not be censored or banned”.
Other examples that fall under this category include “artworks that level specific critique at the state of Israel or Zionism as a political force, as long as they do not associate Israel with conspiratorial understandings of Jewish power.”
The guidelines, released earlier this month, are intended “as a resource to help institutions, organisations and individuals make better, braver decisions whilst contending with antisemitism and censorship in the arts,” the text states.
“It is written from a firm belief that art must be allowed to be political, subversive, uncomfortable – and that bigotry should be challenged,” it adds.
The first section details examples of what antisemitism might look like, including workplace discrimination – which, it outlines, can mean not hiring Jewish artists on the basis of their Jewishness and/or unreasonably refusing to allow time off for Jewish holidays.
Other examples include physical or other abuse of Jews for being Jews, problematic representation (i.e. stereotypically negative depictions of Jews) and minimising Jewish persecution, both past and present.
Meanwhile, final section is designed to provide tools with which to approach the so-called antisemitism “Grey Areas” and advises institutions to consider, in these instances, “Who is speaking? Where is their platform? When is this happening and what is at stake in the world? Who is accessing the work?”
“Whilst nobody has the license to be racist, the positionality of the speaker shapes the speech-act,” the text states. “This is true of any form of bigotry, including antisemitism.”
Among the guidance’s signatories is Toby Marlow, writer and composer of the hit West End musical Six, as well as performer and filmmaker Alex Eisenberg, recognised for his role in The Rimmers at the semi-annual Butt Mitzvah events.
Since October 7, 2023, Jewish artists have reported persistent exclusion from mainstream arts organisations. Last year, UK Jewish Film Festival CEO Michael Etherton told the JC that numerous cinemas across London and the UK refused to screen the event’s Jewish programmes or simply responded to the requests with silence.
The Arts Council has allegedly proven similarly obstinate when it comes to providing funding for Jewish projects, with composer Benjamin Till telling the JC last year that the once-cooperative and generous organisation has become minimally responsive.
Jewish writers have also reported being turned away by mainstream publishers for writing Jewish stories, and some artists have said they refrain from displaying their Jewishness out of fear for how they might be negatively perceived by others in the industry.
As one producer who works across the music and film industries told the JC: “I don’t feel I can be overt about where I stand on things, especially not on social media, because I’m terrified that I’ll lose work, lose colleagues, lose even more friends that I already have.
"I feel like there’s definitely a fear in the air among me and my Jewish peers, that this kind of latent antisemitism that’s come out of the woodwork again… it sort of feels like, we’re just kind of a bit shocked that we’ve seen this again in our lifetimes. I feel unable to speak freely is the headline, really. Especially Israelis [can’t express who they are].”
Jewish-owned organisations in the arts sphere have been subject to similar targeting. British dance company Boiler Rooms faced a boycott campaign by the activist group Ravers for Palestine after being bought by a company owned by three Jews, one of whom had donated to Israeli organisations.
