Artists Say No to Zionist Prize
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Crossposed from Haaretz
Hundreds of dancers, authors, filmmakers and other artists have signed a petition calling to cancel the NIS 50,000 prize initiated by Culture Minister Limor Livnat intended to “reflect Zionist values and history” and give the prize money to “the meager coffer supporting free artistic work in Israel.”
The artists say a prize in the Zionism field is controversial, as its criteria do not pertain solely to artistic quality.The petitioners include artists Dganit Brest, David Tartakover, Doron Rabina and Nahum Tevet, choreographers Yasmeen Godder, Iris Erez, Ido Tadmor and Ohad Naharin, author Yehuda Atlas, filmmaker Eyal Sivan and illustrator Michel Kishka.
Livnat initiated the prize in response to the call for an artists’ boycott of Ariel’s new cultural center last year. It is to be awarded for works of literature, dance, cinema, theater, music and plastic art.
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