Tell Joyce Theater and Batsheva Dance Company: There’s No Art in Apartheid

  • Two Batsheva dancers can't cover up the brutal violence Israel uses against Palestinians under Israel's military occupation

At the same time that Israeli soldiers and settlers are carrying out massacres and pogroms against Indigenous Palestinians, here in New York City the extremist Israeli government continued its grotesque PR strategy of using artists to “show Israel’s prettier face,” and to divert attention from Israel’s apartheid and war crimes. 

The Israeli government just funded a two week run of NYC performances by Batsheva Dance Company, Israel’s leading dance troupe, at Manhattan’s Joyce Theater, aiming to misrepresent Israel as a liberal bastion of the arts.

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Tell the Joyce Theater and Batsheva Dance Company they can’t dance around apartheid!

The Joyce Theater's director Linda Shelton and Batsheva Dance choreographer Ohad Naharin are aligned with a rogue's gallery including Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu and extremist Ministers in his government

These New York shows came as the violent anti-Palestinian racism of Israel’s government has never been more clear. Last week, one new extremist Israeli government Minister, Belazel Smotrich, even called to “wipe out” the Palestinian town of Huwara after settlers and soldiers rampaged through the town.

Yet, the Joyce Theater proudly lists the Israeli government as one of only two foreign government funders. The Joyce also says Israel’s NYC Consulate is provided “special support” for Batsheva’s shows. Due to these funding partnerships, both the Joyce Theater and Batsheva are complicit in Israel’s brutal repression of the Palestinian people. The Joyce Theater and Batsheva Dance Company have long histories of collaborating on shows with the Israeli government, burnishing the image of Israel’s brutal apartheid regime.

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Help call out Joyce Theater director Linda Shelton and Batsheva’s “liberal” choreographer Ohad Naharin for partnering with Israel’s far-right, racist government

Protest photo showing the Joyce Theater marquee when Batsheva perfomed there in 2018, plus a sign saying "Batsheva Proud Ambassador of Racism," and the hashtag #BDS

Through the global, Palestinian-led BDS movement, Palestinian civil society is calling on us to boycott shows by cultural institutions like the Joyce Theater and Batsheva Dance Company until they end their complicity.

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Share our video telling The Joyce Theater and Batsheva Dance Company they can’t hide their support for apartheid, and must respect the Palestinian BDS call

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