Friends of Palestine Western Australia Blog

11/11/09

Friends of Palestine WA
P.O. Box 1410
West Perth 6872
Ph: 0407 850 962

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

We have received information this afternoon which indicates the WA branch of Amnesty International made the final decision to cancel this Sunday’s performance of Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza, in part because the play’s controversial content did not fit in with the other events scheduled for the ARTillery Youth Arts Festival.  However, the WA Branch President of Amnesty International has confirmed to us this decision was taken principally as a result of concerns raised by Kulcha about the controversial nature of the play.  These concerns were raised by Kulcha following pressure being applied to the arts venue by representatives of the Jewish Community Council of Western Australia (JCCWA).

Notwithstanding this new information, Friends of Palestine WA unreservedly condemns Kulcha for its part in the decision to cancel the play.  Furthermore, we are extremely disappointed that Amnesty International caved in to pressure from Kulcha and the JCCWA in ultimately deciding to cancel the performance. 

Friends of Palestine WA and its many hundreds of supporters are incensed at this brazen act of censorship.  It is partly as a conscious act of rebellion against this censorship that we intend to put on our own performance of the play in February next year.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR COMMENT PLEASE WRITE TO friendsofpalestinewa@gmail.com OR CALL THE CONVENER OF FRIENDS OF PALESTINE WA, ALEX WHISSON, ON 0407 850 962

11/11/09

Friends of Palestine WA
P.O. Box 1410
West Perth 6872
Ph:  0407 8…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FRIENDS OF PALESTINE WA CONDEMNS KULCHA’S DECISION TO CANCEL THE PERFORMANCE OF SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN: A PLAY FOR GAZA THAT WAS DUE TO TAKE PLACE THIS SUNDAY.

FURTHERMORE, FRIENDS OF PALESTINE WA IS DISAPPOINTED THAT CONTRADICTORY REASONS HAVE BEEN GIVEN FOR THE CANCELLATION.

As part of its ARTillery Youth Arts Festival, the WA branch of Amnesty International was due to hold a performance this Sunday of Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza, a six-page long, ten-minute piece written by the British Jewish playwright Caryl Churchill in response to Israel’s massacre in Gaza last northern winter.  The play was premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London on February 6th and has since been performed in several other places around the world, including to an audience of 700 at the State Library of Victoria in May.

The play itself is composed of seven scenes addressing various aspects of recent Jewish history, from the Holocaust, the foundation of the state of Israel, through to Israel’s recent assault on the people of Gaza.  It can be downloaded at the following address:

www.royalcourttheatre.com/files/downloads/SevenJewishChildren.pdf

For unknown reasons, the Fremantle venue that was due to host the performance, Kulcha, decided at the last minute to cancel the play.  Thus far, separate enquiries from members of Friends of Palestine WA have elicited contradictory reasons for the cancellation. 

In response to the cancellation, Friends of Palestine WA convener Alex Whisson said: “Amnesty was due to hold a performance of the play at Kulcha on November 14th and the play has now been canceled.  We have been given contradictory reasons for the cancellation.  We are outraged that a play written by a Jewish playwright principally in response to Israel’s massacre in Gaza last northern winter could in any way be considered offensive let alone anti-Semitic.  This is a question which should not only concern Palestine solidarity activists but anyone with an interest in preserving free expression in a supposedly democratic society.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR COMMENT PLEASE SEND AN E-LETTER TO friendsofpalestinewa@gmail.com OR CALL ALEX WHISSON, CONVENER OF FRIENDS OF PALESTINE WA, ON  0407 850 962