Twitter
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Delicious
Digg
Newsvine
Google
Yahoo
Technorati
Published on Wednesday, July 1, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
For Once, the Yes Men Say No
The
Yes Men, co-directors of the new award-winning documentary film The Yes
Men Fix the World, have decided to withdraw their film from the
Jerusalem International Film Festival, in support of the Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions campaign:
Dear Friends at the Jerusalem Film Festival,
We
regret to say that we have taken the hard decision to withdraw our
film, "The Yes Men Fix the World," from the Jerusalem Film Festival in
solidarity with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign (http://www.bdsmovement.net/).
This
decision does not come easily, as we realize that the festival opposes
the policies of the State of Israel, and we have no wish to punish
progressives who deplore the state-sponsored violence committed in
their name.
This decision does not come
easily, as we feel a strong affinity with many people in Israel,
sharing with them our Jewish roots, as well as the trauma of the
Holocaust, in which both our grandfathers died. Andy lived in Jerusalem
for a year long ago, can still get by in Hebrew, and counts several
friends there. And Mike has always wanted to connect with the roots of
his culture.
But despite all our feelings, we
cannot abandon our mission as activists. In the 1980s, there was a call
from the people of South Africa to artists and others to boycott that
regime, and it helped end apartheid there. Today, there is a clear call
for a boycott from Palestinian civil society. Obeying it is our only
hope, as filmmakers and activists, of helping put pressure on the
Israeli government to comply with international law.
It
is painful to do this. But it is even more painful to hear Israeli
policies described as "fascist" - not just from the ill-informed and
the clueless, not just from the usual anti-semitic morons, but from
well-informed Jewish activists within Israel. They know what they're
talking about, and it's painful to think that they could be right.
As
we're sure you know and deplore, the Israeli government has recently
authorized the construction of new units in an illegal West Bank
outpost - one that is illegal even according to Israeli law. On Monday,
nine Palestinians were injured as Israeli authorities demolished their
East Jerusalem home. Tuesday, the Israeli navy stopped a ship from
delivering medicine, toys, and other humanitarian relief to Gaza, and
detained over twenty foreign peace activists, including a Nobel Peace
laureate. Meanwhile, a UN commission was in Gaza investigating much
worse abuses committed early this year.
Whatever
words are applied to such actions, our film mustn't help lend an aura
of normalcy to a state that makes these decisions. For us, that's the
bottom line.
There is certainly another way to
do things in Israel/Palestine, and that is what we must fight for,
however feeble our means. As for our film, there is another way for it
to be seen in Israel... and in Palestine, so that the people most in
need of comic relief, who would never have been able to see it at the
Jerusalem Film Festival anyhow, will be able to see it too. Within the
next few months, we will make this happen.
To those who want to see our film, savlanut and sabir (patience)! And for all the rest of us, a little LESS patience, please.
L'shanah haba'ah beyerushalayim,
Andy and Mike
The Yes Men
Posted in BDS/Israel
18 Comments so far
Show Alloh no , I'll sit in my darkened room and cry.
in a more serious note your movie will be watched in Israel anyway via p2p, so what the boycott all about?
keep making great films, fix the world, give it to us hard and we still come for more, good luck from Israel.
This is a very sad statement. So it is your belief that the citizens of Israel (both Jewish and Arab) would be better off devoid of any artistic, cultural or intellectual experiences in the form of film, until they have corrected their behavior. If it were up to you, everybody would pull their films out of the Jerusalem film festival, and an oasis of culture would be toppled, leaving a gaping hole behind, so you could make your political point.
This is so sad. Films have the power to touch, to change, to enlighten, to win over hearts.
Depriving a film has only the power to nurture ignorance. You have chosen the latter.
You must realize that your actions have no effect on leadership, government, military, policy, anything of that sort, baseless comparisons to situations in Africa notwithstanding. They simply do not. They only affect the people who would have otherwise expressed interest in being open to the message of your film.
Instead of reaching out to receptive people in Israel, you alienate them. Instead of helping the doves, you’re willing to sacrifice them in a misguided attempt at starving hawks. Your attitude is that of collective punishment, which is quite fascist in and of itself. It is a condescending tool to be used by parents, taking away a child’s toy until he has learned to behave himself. You must have a truly unique and extensive, exhaustively researched understanding of the region's problems, to take such a cut and dry stance on the matters of another country.
Rather than respect the individuals in this country, both Arab and Jewish, who - as you very well know from your own experiences in your own country - have a limited power at best over a complex and deeply rooted conflict, you choose to punish them for.
I am extremely saddened by your action. If only by reinforcing the right wing claim that Israelis are alone in this world and can trust no one but themselves, you have done your part in inadvertently chipping away at the efforts for peace.
Shalom indeed,
Yaron
Guys, what does your movie have to do with politics? Not being able to distinguish between art and politics is common mistake #1. Common mistake #2: approving people (even your family members in Israel) ONLY if they subscribe to your political point of view, and then calling yourself a liberal.
...And since you do want to deal with politics (rather then stick to your art), maybe you should know this: the picture given to you as if Israel decided one clear day in 1967 to steal and occupy some Arab lands out of spite, and then keep 'em is absurd. (The Chinese did do just that one clear day in October 1950 when they took Tibet - looking forward for your divestment from China). Divestment and sanctions campaign? Against who? Israel is a side in a very complex conflict which is hard to solve, as you noticed. One of the reasons for the difficulty is that the other side keeps insisting on elimination and extermination as his solution of choice. Proof for that: when Israel got out of Gaza the only thing that happened there was missile industry and more education for hatred and religious extremism. Talk about Fascism.
And a last word you may want to take into consideration: If you're a liberal and your actions end up putting you in support of some great thinkers like the Hammas - than there's something wrong here.
Get a grip, guys, you seem much more intelligent then that.
Cheers,
Ariel.
that's a very brave move and i'll admire your work all the more for it.
Well done and I will be looking for the film to purchase.
Poet
Yessssssssssssssssssssss
That's good but why is there no boycott of the USA or US brands?
Great.
Now, how come there's a boycott against Israel, but not, say, against Exxon or BoA or Goldman or FOX or Wal-Mart or Blue Cross or all credit card issuers or...
Oh, right - because they're not foreign countries. Guess it's easy to withhold a film from a festival - scary message sent! But not buying Exxon gas or swiping that Citi card - too much to ask apparently...
Hope Israel can survive the loss of the Yes Men entry...
Well, that's a good point... how do you object to the right level? I'm going to Israel this summer because we have family there. I suppose we could not go to visit our fine politically moderate leftish family because they live in Israel... but that seems to be cutting off our nose to spite our face. Surely our cousins need to know that we understand the difference between their politics and humanity, on one hand, and the politics of the national government on the other?
I drive a car... and buy fuel from big oil, I pay taxes that fund the imperial American war machine, I keep my money in evil B of A, I travel through countries whose governments I oppose .... all of these activities enable me to do things that are important to me, and sometimes are even important politically or on humanitarian grounds.
We are all embedded in systems of evil... finding the right points of leverage against them is a challenge... sometimes we find ourselves swimming within, using, and relying upon the very structures of power that we oppose elements of.
Hey, why NOT boycott Exxon and B of A and Fox and Goldman?
Any reason in any of that to not boycott Israel?
How have Bichlbaum & Mike Bonanno inherited any of the American population's responsibility for US Government actions?
I'm a bit of a disadvantage here. I have to confess I have not actually researched what Bichlbaum or Bonanno spend with Exxon. I have no idea what they buy from Fox - not ideas, surely.
I hope Israel survives the loss of the Yes Men entry, too: in peace.
As a matter of fact, I avoid patronizing all of the companies that you mention . . . and a few more.
q
Bless you, Yes Men! I am going to make a point of going to see this film, even if I have to drive a long distance, because I absolutely support and applaud your courage and integrity!!!!!!!!!! Many, many thanks!
Thank you Yes Men.
Nobody does it better.
I hope to see the film here in Florida too.
Shalom
"But it is even more painful to hear Israeli policies described as "fascist" - not just from the ill-informed and the clueless, not just from the usual anti-semitic morons, but from well-informed Jewish activists within Israel."
Hmmm. Does this mean that all of us "ill-informed and clueless" so-called "anti-semitic" goyim who previously perceived fascist characteristics in Israel's Zionist policies are now well-informed and clueful? If we're not very careful, we may soon find our opinions classified as "politically correct." That would be tragic indeed.
Way to go. May your actions be the first of many!
Given the influence of the zionist-American community over the film industry in the US, these two guys are really sticking their necks out.
If their film shows up anywhere near you, please support it. See it at least once and more if you can.
q
Bravo.