We at Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) — an organization comprised of prominent members of the entertainment industry dedicated to promoting the arts as a means to peace and to countering the cultural boycott of Israel — have long since noted that supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement are quick to falsely claim victories they haven’t truly earned.

For example, when Pharrell Williams and Natalie Imbruglia canceled their shows in Israel in 2016 and 2017, respectively, for reasons completely unrelated to politics, BDS activists falsely claimed that they did so in solidarity with the aims of their movement — which seeks to isolate Israel in the cultural, academic, economic, and diplomatic spheres with the end goal of eliminating it as the Jewish state.

Now, BDS activists are falsely claiming victory at the Oscars.

To read the rest of the piece on The Times of Israel, please click HERE.

Natalie Imbruglia and the Desperation of BDS

By: Nick Lieber, Editorial Associate and Analyst, Creative Community For Peace

It’s been a sad year for supporters of the cultural boycott of Israel — and conversely, an excellent year for those of us who believe in artistic freedom and the power of the arts to build bridges for peace.

No artist has canceled a show in Israel due to pressure from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement — a movement that seeks to isolate Israel in the international arena for the ultimate purpose of eliminating it as the Jewish state — since December of 2015, and its supporters are desperate to claim any victory they possibly can.

We at Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) — an organization comprised of prominent members of the entertainment industry dedicated to promoting the arts as a means to peace and to countering the cultural boycott of Israel — are constantly in touch behind the scenes and can confirm that Australian popstar Natalie Imbruglia canceled her March 1, 2017 concert in Tel Aviv for reasons completely unrelated to politics.

However, boycott supporters have continued to claim the opposite despite the lack of supporting evidence.

To read the rest of the piece on The Times of Israel, please click HERE.

 

Music industry boycott of Israel? Not so much

By: David Renzer and Steve Schnur

When we saw the article “Radiohead announce Israel gig despite industry boycott,” we at Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) — an organization comprised of prominent members of the entertainment industry dedicated to promoting the arts as a means to peace and to countering the attempted cultural boycott of Israel — couldn’t help but ask ourselves, “What industry boycott?”

Despite the many groups and individuals calling very loudly for a cultural boycott of Israel — as part of the strategy of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement to isolate Israel and ultimately eliminate it as the Jewish state — more than 800 international artists, from all corners of the industry, have performed in Israel over the last 5 years.

In 2016 alone, more than 230 international artists performed in the tiny country, including: The Chemical Brothers, Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Ricky Martin, Major Lazer, Queen and Adam Lambert, Eagles of Death Metal, Sia, Julian Marley, Carlos Santana, Joss Stone, Avicii, Tame Impala, Wiz Khalifa, Megadeath, Elton John, Deep Purple, Eroz Ramazzotti, Jason Derulo, Craig David, Donovan, Jethro Tull, Ibeyi, and Sean Paul, among many others.

To read the rest of the piece on The Times of Israel, please click HERE.

We at Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) — an organization comprised of prominent members of the entertainment industry dedicated to promoting the arts and culture as a means to peace and to countering the attempted cultural boycott of Israel — were happy to hear of your upcoming trip to Israel.

We are aware that there are groups opposed to the trip, and feel that it’s important to note that these groups are not merely opponents of particular actions of the Israeli government; they are opponents of Israel’s very right to exist. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, though often painting itself as a human rights movement, is in fact a political campaign aiming to create a Palestinian state — and only a Palestinian state — on the ashes of the Jewish, democratic State of Israel.

BDS asserts a very black and white narrative and actively works to prevent people — particularly influential peoples such as yourselves — from seeing anything they disagree with, anything that would add some shades of gray. We, however, are of the opinion that in order to learn about such a complex and often confusing region of the world, there’s nothing quite like brushing aside the screen of the media seeing it for oneself from a wide variety of angles.

We hope that while you’re in Israel, you’ll have the chance to contribute to a more peaceful future in the region by experiencing and supporting initiatives which bring together Israelis and Palestinians through sport. One of the biggest impediments to peace is that Israelis and Palestinians simply don’t understand one another, and there are numerous sport-based projects designed to correct that.

For example, the “Twinned Peace Sports Schools,” a project of the Peres Center For Peace, foster “values of peace and coexistence amongst young Palestinians and Israelis by changing attitudes toward the ‘other’ and diffusing stereotypes” through soccer. And Peace Players International uses basketball to bring Israelis and Palestinians together in a  “safe and neutral space where young people can begin to form deep personal bonds and lasting friendships.”

Sports — just like art and music — connect people across the world, allowing them to bridge even the biggest differences and to come together in peace.

We at CCFP wish you an enjoyable and illuminating trip.