We are writing as human rights activists and artists from North American cities that you plan to visit on your upcoming tour. Palestinian civil society has issued a call for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, modeled on the call for the boycott of apartheid South Africa. Respecting that call, we urge you to cut all ties to the Brand Israel campaign and take a stand against the Israeli government’s violations of Palestinian rights. Until you do so, we will not welcome you in our cities and will organize a boycott of your performances due to your collaboration with the Israeli state.
Alan H. Fishman Chairman of the Board Brooklyn Academy of Music
Karen Brooks Hopkins President Brooklyn Academy of Music
February 6, 2012
Dear Ms. Brooks,
Thank you for your February 2nd e-mail responding to Adalah-NY’s January 26th letter in which we called on you to cancel the Batsheva Dance Company’s upcoming performances at BAM. Adalah-NY supports the Palestinian civil society call for a boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions, such as the Batsheva Dance Company, that are complicit in Israel’s violation of international law and denial of Palestinian rights, and that refuse to take a stand against Israel’s systematic discrimination against the Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories, within Israel, and as refugees in the diaspora.
Thank you for your letter regarding BAM's upcoming presentation of Batsheva Dance Company. I appreciate that you recognize BAM's history as a progressive arts organization and its commitment to diversity. Our core mission is an artistic one; we recognize the work of Batsheva as we recognize and support artistic work from dozens of countries and cultures.
Alan H. Fishman Chairman of the Board Brooklyn Academy of Music
Karen Brooks Hopkins President Brooklyn Academy of Music
January 26, 2012
Dear Mr. Fishman and Ms. Brooks,
We are a group of New York City-based human rights activists and artists supporting the struggle for justice, human rights, equality and democracy in the Middle East. As residents of New York City, including Brooklyn, we greatly appreciate the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s (BAM) long history as a progressive arts institution that supports diversity, equal rights, environmental consciousness and grassroots community action. We are writing with respect to Batsheva Dance Company’s upcoming performance at BAM.
January 15, 2012 - US-made tear gas, manufactured by companies like Combined Systems Inc. (CSI), Defense Technology, and NonLethal Technologies, continues to be used by governments including Egypt, Israel, Yemen, Bahrain and the United States to repress popular protest movements for economic and social justice.
Strong evidence that CSI canister killed Palestinian protester Mustafa Tamimi: On December 9, 2011, in the village of Nabi Saleh in the West Bank an Israeli soldier inside an armored military jeep fired a tear gas canister at close range directly at the face of Palestinian protester Mustafa Tamimi during a protest against the expansion of Israeli settlements on Nabi Saleh’s land. Mustafa died from his wounds the next day. Protesters did not manage to collect the actual tear gas canister fired at him. However, residents of Nabi Saleh have collected samples of the types of tear gas canisters that the Israeli army uses against Nabi Saleh’s weekly protests, including the specific type of tear gas canister - same size and shape - that hit Mustafa. The type of canister that killed Mustafa can be seen in the January 11 and 13, 2012, photos below taken in Nabi Saleh by Bilal Tamimi. The canister has a headstamp on it that reads CTS. CTS stands for Combined Tactical Systems, a brand name of Combined Systems Inc., in Jamestown, PA. Adalah-NY received these photos from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee.
Jayyous has some of the most fertile agricultural lands in Palestine, providing 75% of Jayyous' income and fruits and vegetables to people throughout the West Bank. Furthermore, this area is significant because it contains artesian water wells which irrigate more than 8000 dunams (approx. 1977 acres) of land planted with all types of citruses and other fruits. These wells also irrigate 120 dunams (approx. 30 acres) of greenhouses which, throughout the year, are planted with tomatoes and cucumbers. These lands and those in Qalqilya and the village of Falamya are situated on the western drainage basin, which is this biggest of drainage basins in the West Bank, containing 362 million square meters of water per year. With this taken into account, Israel’s annexation wall was built and settlements were expanded to isolate 75% of these fertile lands as well as the drainage basin, thus depriving the citizens of their lands and water. In addition to this, the settlement of Zufim was built on parts of Jayyous’s lands. Initially, 200 dunams (approx. 49 acres) of these lands were confiscated by the Israeli army under the pretext of building a military camp, but, in 1991, they were used as a site for constructing the settlement of Zufim, which itself began to expand at the expense of Jayyous' neighbouring farmland.
Myra Biblowit, President Margaret Mastrianni, Deputy Director The Breast Cancer Research Foundation 60 East 56th Street, 8th Floor New York, NY
December 8, 2011
Dear Ms. Biblowit and Ms. Mastrianni,
We were pleased to learn via reporters who contacted the Breast Cancer Research Foundation that you are concerned about and considering our November 21 letter to you in which we called on BCRF to sever ties with Lev Leviev, a recent donor to BCRF. As we documented, Leviev’s companies are involved in settlement construction in violation of international law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian Territories and in human rights violations and unethical business practices in the diamond industry in Angola and Namibia.
Dr. Joyce F. Brown President FIT 227 West 27 St. room C908 New York, NY 10001-5992
Valerie Steele Director The Museum at FIT 227 West 27 St. room E304 New York, NY 10001-5992
December 8, 2011
Dear Dr. Brown and Ms. Steele,
We were pleased to learn by phone from FIT General Counsel Steve Tuttle and from media reports that you are actively pursuing the issues raised in our November 21 letter to you in which we called on FIT to sever ties with Lev Leviev, a funder of the Daphne Guinness exhibition at the Museum at FIT. As we documented, Leviev’s companies are involved in settlement construction in violation of international law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian Territories and in human rights violations and unethical business practices in the diamond industry in Angola and Namibia.
We are writing to follow up on our original letter, and to offer more details about Leviev’s illegal and unethical practices in order to aid you in your decision.
We were pleased to learn via a November 21 email from your assistant Jenna and through reporters who contacted you that you are concerned about and considering our November 21 letter to you in which we called on you to sever ties with Lev Leviev, a funder of your exhibition at FIT. As we documented, Leviev’s companies are involved in settlement construction in violation of international law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian Territories and in human rights violations and unethical business practices in the diamond industry in Angola and Namibia.
We are writing to follow up on our original letter, and to offer more details about Leviev’s illegal and unethical practices in order to aid you in your decision.
