Following a letter last week, from ‘Boycott from Within’ addressed to the World Shakespeare Festival, informing them that their scheduled performers, Habima National Theatre of Israel wilfully and regularly performs in the West Bank, where settlements are ‘created in violation of International law’, a Facebook page was launched titled ‘Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre don't entertain Apartheid Appeasers Habima’ which encouraged anti-apartheid fans to comment directly on Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre’s (SGT) official Facebook page wall.  https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/12/490601.html

At first, SGT’s official Facebook page seemed to respond by deleting comments posted on this issue. However the furore of postings could not be ignored. On Saturday 31st January 2011, the official SGT page replied to comments and posted ‘Happy New Year Everyone! Obviously there has been a lot of activity on our wall whilst we have been out celebrating the New Year. For the moment we have disabled user posts, but have not deleted any messages, so that we can respond appropriately in due course.’ Nevertheless, within 24 hours there were a further 128 comments posted in reply, highlighting the backlash against the scheduled proposition of using Shakespeare to whitewash Israeli Apartheid.  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shakespeares-Globe-Theatre-dont-entertain-Apartheid-Appeasers-Habima/160101864095198?ref=tn_tnmn

Comments posted by fans included:

Informing SGT of protests carried out by theatre professionals in Israel over a similar issue. ‘Dozens of Israeli actors, playwrights and directors signed a letter refusing to take part in productions by leading theatre companies at a new cultural centre in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. More than 60 joined the protest over plans by Israel's national theatre, the Habima, and other leading companies to stage performances in Arial, a settlement 12 miles inside the West Bank.’  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/29/actors-boycott-west-bank-theatre?INTCMP=SRCH

Naomi Foyle, from the British Writers in Support of Palestine who wrote ‘Dear LSG ~ as the co-ordinator of British Writers in Support of Palestine, I urge you to please see through false accusations of anti-Semitism, and join the great range of artists world-wide who are taking a stand for human rights for all: please reject Habima and refuse to collaborate in Israel's cultural whitewashing of its countless crimes against the Palestinians.’

Linda Brennan ‘I am appalled that Shakespeare's Globe is planning to host this Israeli theatre and am strongly urging them to withdraw their invitation. Speaking as an organiser of the Tottenham Palestine Literature festival which suffered from major crass censorship from Michael Gove about even discussing the Palestinians issue I can only say that all progressive people are following the cultural boycott campaign against the apartheid state of Israel. It is a highly popular campaign and growing by the day. Nothing is apolitical; if the Globe welcomes them it is making a statement for Israel's ethnic cleansing and apartheid and saying they are acceptable. The cultural boycott is a strong weapon in the fight for the human rights of Palestinians. Many artists have already joined it or have rethought their stance on it. It will make a difference. Please withdraw the invitation’.

Another fan wrote, ‘The Globe claims to value bringing theatre to children. Why then have they agreed to host the Habima theatre company, which receives funding from the Israeli state responsible for carrying out midnight raids on the Freedom Theatre in Jenin? "The systematized attacks by the Israeli army on The Freedom Theatre and its employees seriously damage the theatre's ability to operate as a safe place for children and youth."  http://www.thefreedomtheatre.org/news.php?id=212 '

Habima's General manager in response to this boycott call was reported as saying "We don't deal with boycotts. Habima is preparing for the trip and feels that this is an honourable accomplishment for the State of Israel in general and for the national theatre in particular.”  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4170210,00.html

This morning SGT responded to fans again on Facebook saying: ‘Amongst many other international companies, including Roy-e-Sabs from Afghanistan, the Mexican Compaña Nacional de Teatro, Deafinitely Theatre performing Shakespeare for the first time ever in British Sign Language, the Belarus Free Theatre and the South Sudan Theatre Company, both the Ashtar Theatre from Ramallah and Habima from Tel Aviv have been invited to perform as part of Globe to Globe. This once-in-a-lifetime arts festival celebrates the universality of Shakespeare in a year when London welcomes the world to the Olympics. It is also a celebration of the huge variety of languages and cultures which have encountered, learnt from and extended the reach of his work, and as such we were determined to reflect as wide and as comprehensive a variety of languages as possible. ln creating our programme, we have tried our best to balance that universality with the infinite variety shown in Shakespeare’s works. Companies have been chosen to try to reflect the huge variety of languages, cultures and peoples which have encountered Shakespeare, and have added to his remarkable story. We respect a spirit of open and respectful debate and will respond directly to the open letter from Boycott from Within, but if you would like to comment further, we would ask you to email  info@shakespearesglobe.com.’

The Facebook campaign page ‘Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre don't entertain Apartheid Appeasers Habima’, replied:

‘Thank you for your consideration. Habima Theatre wilfully performs in illegal settlements to ‘an exclusively Israeli audience, with Palestinians living even in the nearest village being physically excluded from any chance of attending'. Habima Theatre’s 'management has reiterated its decision to perform in West Bank settlements, "like everywhere else" & specifically promised Limor Livnat, Minister of Culture in the Netanyahu Government, to "deal with any problems hindering such performances”.'  http://boycottisrael.info/content/call-shakespeares-globe-theatre

It's been suggested (by an unconfirmed source) that Habima's trip to London in May 2012 is sponsored by Israel’s ministry of ‘Foreign Affairs’.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre - You can't acquiesce in apartheid by saying you invite the slave & their master, the abused & their abuser, the segregated & their segregator. The Russell Tribunal (South Africa Session 2011) found that Israel subjects the Palestinians to ‘an institutionalised regime of apartheid as defined under International Law’ with ‘the Palestinians living under colonial military rule in the Occupied Palestinian territory’ being ‘subject to a particularly aggravated form of apartheid'.  http://www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com/en/sessions/south-africa/south-africa-session-%E2%80%94-full-findings/cape-town-session-summary-of-findings

Reggae DJ the Admiral, a member of South African Artists Against Apartheid commented on the South African Advertising & Media Watchdog (ASA) ruling in 2011 that Israel can be called an Apartheid State, after dismissing a complaint by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies that to do so was “untrue, not supported by any evidence…and contains a lie which amounts to false propaganda” saying “Calling Israel an Apartheid state is legitimate because Israel practices Apartheid. The boycott of such an oppressive regime should be supported as it was in our own Anti-Apartheid freedom struggle."  http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/africa/2580-south-african-advertising-and-media-watchdog-rules-that-israel-can-be-called-an-qapartheidq-state
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre please do not attempt to whitewash Apartheid with Shakespeare, part of our UK heritage. Apartheid is exclusion and has no place in UK or World Culture.’

It’s apparent that the objective of the Shakespeare’s 2012 festival is to promote a global culture of theatre inclusive of all. Apartheid by definition is ‘a policy or system of segregation or discrimination on the grounds of race’. SGT’s scheduled performance by Habima National Theatre of Israel directly conflicts with their own objective. The answer for all intent and purposes here is clear. As requested by SGT, they can be contacted here  info@shakespearesglobe.com

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