Dozens of comics artists signed a letter calling for a boycott against any Israeli entity that does not “promote freedom and justice for Palestinians.”
The open letter, cosigned by more than 80 individuals involved in producing comics, was sent out Wednesday to the organizers of an international festival for comics artists scheduled to open next week in France, and which is cosponsored by the Israeli company Sodastream.
More; JTA
The letter is here.
We, cartoonists, illustrators, writers, editors, distributors, translators, critics and workers in the comic book industry, alongside people of conscience from countries all over the world, re-affirm our February 2014 call for the Angoulême International Comics Festival to drop all ties with the Israeli company Sodastream. Furthermore, we urge the Angoulême Festival, and all festivals, conventions, and celebrations of comics and cartooning art in which we participate, to reject any partnership, funding, or co-operation with any Israeli company or institution that does not explicitly promote freedom and justice for Palestinians, as well as equal rights and equality for Israeli Jews and Palestinians, including the Israeli government and its local consulates, so long as Israel continues to deny Palestinians their rights.
Today, the Sodastream company proudly boasts of its factory’s location in the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, which makes it complicit in the crime of military occupation. However, even if Sodastream, thanks in part to the pressure campaign launched last year, moved its manufacturing to the Negev (where Palestinian Bedouins are facing eviction from their ancestral lands by Israeli government’s Prawer Plan) it, and other Israeli companies and institutions, are part of a system built on the mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinian communities and sustained through racism and discrimination. It, and other Israeli companies, contribute to the economy of a state which conducted a brutal military assault against a civilian population in Gaza in the summer of 2014, resulting in over 2,100 deaths, including over 500 children.
We cannot accept our art being used to whitewash these crimes, as the Israeli Ministry of Foreign affairs has explicitly stated it will attempt to do through its “Brand Israel” campaign. Angoulême, a center of appreciation for comics internationally, should not be used in this manner.
We again urge you to sever ties between the Festival and Sodastream, and we extend our call to directors and organizers, editors and associations of comics and illustration around the globe. No “business as usual” with lsrael!
Signatures:
Palestine Comics Festival (Palestine), Leila Abdul Razaq (USA), Zainab Akhtar (UK), Khalid Albaih (Sudan/Qatar), Albertine (Switzerland), Hilary Allison (USA), Anarkikka (Italy), Enzo Apicella (Italy), Serge Baeken (Belgium), Alex Baladi (Switzerland), Edd Baldry (UK/France), Allan Barte (France), Baru (France, 4 Angoulême prizes and Grand Prix in 2010), Edmond Baudoin (France, 3 Angoulême prizes), Kate Beaton (Canada), Alison Bechdel (USA), Sofiane Belaskri (Algeria), Faiza Benaouda (Algeria), Khalil Bendib (Algeria/USA), Peter Blegvad (USA/UK, Angoulême prize in 2014), Philippe Bonifay (France), Briac (France), David Brothers (USA), Paul Buhle (USA), Nicole Burton (Canada), Jennifer Camper (USA), Lorena Canottiere (Italy), Chandre (France), Gilles Ciment (France, former director of the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée in Angoulême from 2007 to 2014), Rob Clough (USA), Sean T. Collins (USA), Gianluca Costantini (Italy), Jean-Luc Coudray (France, Angoulême prize in 1990), Philippe Coudray (France, Angoulême prize in 2011), Molly Crabapple (USA), Pino Creanza (Italy), Marguerite Dabaie (USA), Bira Dantas (Brazil), Eleanor Davis (USA), Marcel « Lidwine » De la Gare (France, Angoulême prize in 1999), Guy Delisle (Canada, Angoulême Prize in 2012), Les Dessin’acteurs (France), Dror (France), Warren Ellis (UK), Magdy El Shafee (Egypt), elchicotriste (Spain), The FDZ (Lebanon), Olivier Ferra (France), Brigitte Findakly (France), Ganzeer (Egypt/USA), Lucile Gomez (France), Jenny Gonzalez-Blitz (USA), Michel Granger (France), Graphic History Collective: Sam Bradd, Sean Carleton, Robin Folvik, Mark Leier, Trevor McKilligan, Julia Smith (Canada), Dominique Grange (France), Thierry Groensteen (France, former director of the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée in Angoulême from 1993 to 2001), Jeet Heer (Canada), Ethan Heitner (USA), Delphine Hermans (Belgium), Anaële Hermans (Belgium), Jaime Hernandez (USA), Alex Hoffman (USA), Dylan Horrocks (New Zealand, nominated in Angoulême in 2002), Igort (Italy, nominated in Angoulême in 2003), Hatem Imam (Lebanon), Jiho (France), Monica Johnson (USA), Ben Katchor (USA), Mazen Kerbaj (Lebanon), Peter Kuper (USA), Patrick Lacan (France), Carlos Latuff (Brazil), Wilfrid Lupano (France), Rodolphe « Ohazar » Lupano (France), Lena Merhej (Lebanon), Jean-Claude Mézières (France, 2 Angoulême prizes and Grand Prix in 1984), Katie Miranda (USA), Anne Elizabeth Moore (USA), Mric (France), José Muñoz (Argentina, 3 Angoulême prizes and Grand Prix in 2007), Pépito (France), Ernest Pignon-Ernest (France), Jeanne Puchol (France), Maël Rannou (France), Patricia Réaud (France), Helge Reumann (Switzerland), Barrack Rima (Lebanon/Belgium), Mohammad Sabaaneh (Palestine), Salgood Sam (Canada), Amitai Sandy (Israel), François Schuiten (Belgium, Grand Prix in 2002), Gabby Schulz (USA), Siné (France), Jean Solé (France), Philippe Squarzoni (France, nominated in Angoulême in 2003), Sylvain-Moizie (France, Angoulême prize in 2000 and in residence at the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée in Angoulême in 2014-2015), Tardi (France, 5 Angoulême prizes and Grand Prix in 1985), Seth Tobocman (USA), Jean-Louis Tripp (Canada), Lewis Trondheim (France, 2 Angoulême prizes and Grand Prix in 2006, creator of the Angoulême mascot), Guillaume Trouillard (France), Willem (France/Nederland, Angoulême Grand Prix in 2013), Willis From Tunis (Tunisia), Jordan Worley (USA), Wozniak (France/Poland), yAce (France), Germano Zullo (Switzerland)
Last year's signatories (Europeans in bold):
Leila Abdul Razzaq (USA), Khalid Albaih (Sudan), Derrouazin Alla Eddine, Hilary Allison (USA), Rosalba Ambrico (Italy), Enzo Apicella (UK/Italia), Dan Archer (USA), Redouane Assari (Algérie), Avoine (France), Serge Baeken (Belgium), Edd Baldry (UK/France), Baru (France, 4 Angoulême prizes and Grand Prix in 2010), Edmond Baudoin (France, 3 Angoulême prizes), Sofiane Belaskri (Algérie), Mohammed El Amine Benali (Algérie), Faiza Benaouda, Carlo Benini (Italy), Berth (France), Peter Blegvad (USA/UK, Angoulême prize in 2014), Naïm Boukir (Algérie), Shane Patrick Boyle (USA), Steve Brodner (USA), Nicole Burton (Canada), Susie Cagle (USA), Jennifer Camper (USA), Carali (France), Dan Carino (USA), Rémy Cattelain (France), Chimulus (France), Sue Coe (USA), Gianluca Costantini (Italy), Jean-Luc Coudray (France, Angoulême prize in 1990), Philippe Coudray (France, Angoulême prize in 2011), Pino Creanza (Italy), Marguerite Dabaie (USA), Adjim Dannger (Chad), Bira Dantas (Brazil), Marcel de la Gare (France), Eric Drooker (USA), Magdy El Shafee (Egypt), Elchicotriste (Spain), Faujour (France), Luigi Filippelli (Italy), Sean Ford (USA), Sarah Glidden (USA), Jenny Gonzalez-Blitz (USA), Dominique Grange (France), Thierry Groensteen (France, director, Angoulême's Musée de la bande dessinée), Ethan Heitner (USA), Paula Hewitt Amram (USA), Igort (Italy, nominated in Angoulême in 2003), Hatem Imam (Lebanon), Jeroen Janssen (Belgium), Jiho (France), Ben Katchor (USA), Mazen Kerbaj (Lebanon), Sarah Khoury (Italy), Kris (France), Lolo Krokaga (France), Nat Krokaga (France), Peter Kuper (USA), Carlos Latuff (Brazil), Lasserpe (France), Maximilien Le Roy (France), Lerouge (France), Wilfrid Lupano (France), Matt Madden (USA/France), Benameur Mahmoud (Algérie), Eric Maltaite (Belgium), Seoud Messadi, Matt Miner (USA), Katie Miranda (USA), Rym Mokhtari (Algérie), Mric (France), José Muñoz (Argentina, 3 Angoulême prizes and Grand Prix in 2007), Ohazar (France), Jeanne Puchol (France), Marty Qatani (USA), Maël Rannou (France), Barrack Rima (Lebanon/Belgium), James Romberger (USA), Puig Rosado (France), Mohammad Sabaaneh (Palestine), Joe Sacco (USA, Angoulême prize in 2011), Malik Sajad (Kashmir), Amitai Sandy (Israel), François Schuiten (Belgium, Angoulême Grand Prix in 2002), Siné (France), Jean Solé (France), Philippe Squarzoni (France, nominated in Angoulême in 2003), Jacques Tardi (France, 5 Angoulême prizes and Grand Prix in 1985), Tom Tirabosco (Switzerland, Angoulême prize in 2009), Seth Tobocman (USA), Pasquale Squaz Todisco (Italia), Eli Valley (USA), David Diavù Vecchiato (Italia), Daniel Wernëck (Brasil), Willis From Tunis (Tunisie/France), Jordan Worley (USA), Zerocalcare (Italia).
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