Deutsches Theater Schumannstrae 13a 10117 Berlin

Berlin, Feb 27, 2012 Open letter to the Deutsches Theater Berlin

Ladies and Gentlemen, We are writin this letter t! as" #!u, t! cancel #!ur $er%!rmance !% &D'(B( )Thie*es+& with the ,ameri Theater in Tel -*i* !n 17 and 1. /arch 20120 F!r decades, 'srael s#stematicall# *i!lates the human ri hts !% 1alestinians0 'srael h!lds the 1alestinians in the West Ban" under 'sraeli militar# law ri ht with!ut an# ci*il ri hts, 'srael maintains the ille al sie e !% Ga2a, denies the ri ht !% return and c!m$ensati!n %!r 1alestinian re%u ees sancti!ned b# the 34 in 156. and ad!$ted d!2ens discriminat!r# a$artheid laws in 'srael 01 Such *i!lati!ns d!cumented b# human ri hts !r ani2ati!ns li"e -mnest# 'nternati!nal and 78%am 2 ha*e l!n been rec! ni2ed b# the 3nited 4ati!ns as ille al0 The ,ameri Theater $resents itsel% as $art !% this $!lic#0 Thr!u h its $artici$ati!n in the inau urati!n !% the ,ultural ,enter in the ille al 'sraeli settlement !% -riel in the !ccu$ied 1alestinian territ!ries in 4!*ember 2010, 3 the theater has cemented the 'sraeli !ccu$ati!n !% 1alestinian land0 The ,ameri Theatre dem!ted itsel% t! a handmaiden !% 'sraeli $!lic#06 B# $artici$atin in the 9!int $r!9ect &D'(B(& with the ,ameri Theater #!u als! bec!me a su$$!rter !% the 'sraeli $!lic# !% the !n !in $r!cess !% c!l!ni2ati!n and en*ir!nmental destructi!n !% 1alestinian land, water r!bber#, e8$l!itati!n !% res!urces0 : This is the si nal that #!u b!th send !ut t! the 1alestinian, 'sraeli and als! t! the internati!nal $ublic0 The *i!lati!n !% internati!nal law c!ncernin the 'sraeli settlements in the !ccu$ied 1alestinian territ!ries is undis$uted b# the wa#, e*en in the Federal G!*ernment and in the F!rei n 7%%ice0 The !*ernment $ress c!n%erence !n 2 4!*ember 2011 it is 000 ;We thin" this is actuall# a w!rr#in de*el!$ment0 The attitude !% the Federal G!*ernment !n the <uesti!n

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!% 'sraeli settlement acti*it# is clear= settlement acti*it# in !ccu$ied territ!ries are ille al under internati!nal law 000 ; @ Similarl#, the F!rei n /inistr# e8$ressed !n his !%%icial website= 000 ;'n terms !% $r!$ert# ac<uisiti!n !r in*estment in the settlements it sh!uld be n!ted that acc!rdin t! the Federal G!*ernment the settlements are ille al under internati!nal law 000; 7 1!siti!n has n!w als! been ta"en b# a number !% 'sraeli artists and intellectuals wh! ha*e re$udiated themsel*es t! $er%!rm in the ille al -riel0 .The# recei*ed w!rldwide su$$!rt %r!m m!re than 1:0 artists and intellectuals0 5 These internati!nal and 'sraeli artists were res$!ndin t! the 1alestinian ,am$ai n %!r the -cademic and ,ultural B!#c!tt !% 'srael )1-,B'+0 Since -$ril 2006, the 1alestinian cam$ai n %!r the -cademic and ,ultural B!#c!tt !% 'srael )1-,B'+ calls !n intellectuals and academics all !*er the w!rld t! b!#c!tt c!m$rehensi*el# and c!nsistentl# all 'sraeli academic and cultural instituti!ns that c!!$erate with the state s#stem !% in9ustice and a$$r!$riate its $!litical !als as l!n as the 'sraeli !ccu$ati!n, c!l!ni2ati!n and the a$artheid s#stem will be terminated0 10 That is h!w #!u als! ma"e a tan ible c!ntributi!n %!r the end !% the c!n%lict0 'n 200@ a clear ma9!rit# !% 1alestinian creati*e artists su$$!rted b# hundreds !% internati!nal artists called !n all artists and %ilmma"ers with sense !% res$!nsibilit# t! 9!in the instituti!nal cultural b!#c!tt a ainst 'srael in !rder t! $r!test a ainst the c!ntinu!us *i!lati!n !% internati!nal law b# 'sraeli !*ernments0 11 'n res$!nse t! that the %am!us British artist and writer A!hn Ber er $ublished a statement which was su$$!rted b# a number !% internati!nal artists, writers and %ilmma"ers and calls !n all c!llea ues w!rldwide t! 9!in the 1alestinian call %!r a cultural b!#c!tt0 12 A!in this callB Den# with #!ur theater art the 'sraeli $!lic# !% de$ri*ati!n !% ri hts !% the 1alestiniansB Den# als! th!se wh! are su$$!rters !% this $!lic#0
We as" %!r #!ur "ind answer0 ,!ntact= bdsm!*ement?BerlinCweb0de

D!urs sincerel#,
BDS Gru$$e Berlin, www0bds?"am$a ne0de Berlin -cademic B!#c!tt )bab+, berlinacademicb!#c!tt0w!rd$ress0c!m> Berliner BEndnis %Er Ga2a Deutsch?1alFstinensischer Frauen*erein e0G0, www0d$%*0!r > Frauen in Schwar2 )Wien+, www.fraueninschwarz.at
htt$=>>www0bundesre ierun 0de>,!ntent>D(>/itschri%t>1resse"!n%eren2en>2011>11>2011?11?02?re $"? bre 0htmlH9sessi!nidI35FD@7D5,F1@7,D63(.0,5B2-:15-:.(0s3t1 7 htt$=>>www0auswaerti es?amt0de>D(>-ussen$!liti">Laender>Laenderin%!s>'srael>Wirtscha%t0html . htt$=>>www0haaret20c!m>$rint?editi!n>news>1:0?academics?artists?bac"?act!rs?b!#c!tt?!%?settlement?arts?center? 10311165 5 htt$=>>9ewish*!ice%!r$eace0!r >cam$ai ns>ma"in ?hist!r#?su$$!rt?israeli?artists?wh!?sa#?n!?n!rmali2in ?settlements?6 und htt$=>>www0 uardian0c!0u">w!rld>2010>au >25>act!rs?b!#c!tt?west?ban"?theatre 10 htt$=>>www0$acbi0!r >etem$late0$h$JidI.@5 11 htt$=>>www0$acbi0!r >etem$late0$h$JidI31: 12 htt$=>>www0$acbi0!r >etem$late0$h$JidI61:
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AEdische Stimme %Er erechten Frieden in 4ah!st e0G0 )(AA1?German#+ www09uedische?stimme0de Kritische AEdische Stimme )Lsterreich+, www.nahostfriede.at Kritische Auden und 'sraelis 4ah!st"!mitee in der Berliner FM'K7 1alFstina"!mitee Stutt art, htt$=>>sender%reies$alaestina0de> 1aula -brams?N!urani, GrEnderin Frauen in Schwar2, Wien - nes Bennh!ld, Neidelber , /it lied im Neidelber er Friedensratschla Kel*in Bland M'B-, -1A1 )BDS in (n land+ Muth (dm!nds /Sc, 'sraeli citi2en (ran (%rati, 'sraeli citi2en S#l*ia Fin2i Muth Fruchtman 'ris Ne%ets, 'sraeli citi2en Gerhilde /er2, K!mmissi!n 'srael?1alFstina in 1a8 ,hristi Lsterreich 7%er 4eiman, 'sraeli citi2en, Aerusalem 1r!%0 D!r!thee M!er, 1alFstina F!rum 4ah!st Fran"%urt>/0 Dr0 'n ! M!er , 1alFstina F!rum 4ah!st Fran"%urt>/0 D!natan Sha$ira, 'sraeli citi2en /arlene Stri$ec"e /a#a Wind, 'sraeli citi2en -ttia Ma9ab Gerena Ma9ab