The approval of the cultural agreement with the European Union: "a dispute of political significance" | Israel today

Is the government allowed to approve the cultural agreement with the European Union during an election period?

The association "Lavi" (the municipal association for the development of education in Jerusalem) appealed yesterday to the ombudsman, attorney Gali Beharve-Miara, claiming that the transitional government is not allowed to ratify Israel's participation in the "Europe Creative" program.

The agreement will allow Israelis to receive European financial participation in projects in the field of culture, in an estimated amount of tens of millions of shekels.

In return for the European support, Israel will pay the Union 33 million shekels and establish an administration that will coordinate the program.

Another condition set by the Europeans is that the agreement will not apply to the Golan Heights, the eastern part of Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

Legal advisor to the government Gali Beharev Miara, photo: Tomer Jacobson

Attorney Eran Ben Ari wrote to Beharb-Miara in the name of "Lavi": "Joining the agreement is subject to intense political and public controversy and has policy, political and declarative implications, which go far beyond the very purpose of the agreement, and they concern the policy of the State of Israel in the face of boycott attempts, discrimination and the BDS".

According to Ben Ari, "Signing such an agreement at this time, less than two months before the elections, is in complete contrast to the criteria and standards established regarding conduct during an election period. We are confident that this will also not be approved by the Supreme Court."

The Ministry of Justice has not yet provided a response to Israel Hayom in this regard.

In the meantime, the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Feller Hasan Nahum, turned to Minister Trooper and asked him not to sign the agreement.

"We are about to sign an agreement that is absolutely against our government's policy regarding Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and which discriminates against all residents of East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and Judea and Samaria from being an equal part of the circle of cultural creation for Israel. Israel's agreement to the condition serves the BDS movement and its supporters" , says Hassan Nahum.

Trooper: "Relax, we are not dividing Jerusalem"

Culture Minister Hili Troper responded to the publication, according to which the office he leads will cooperate with the project that does not recognize the unity of Jerusalem and the sovereignty of Israel in the Golan Heights, and rejected the claims made regarding the meaning of the move.

Trooper told Israel Hayom: "First of all, the wording of the clause concerning Judea and Samaria in the current agreement approved by the government is identical word for word to the wording of the relevant clause in similar agreements that Israeli governments have signed in the last decade with the European Union. It is identical, for example, to the wording in the 'Horizon 2000' agreement which was approved by the Netanyahu government, which had many good friends, including Minister Regev. They did not divide Jerusalem then, and they are not dividing it this time either. You can relax.

Minister of Culture and Sports Hili Trooper.

"The world of Israeli culture under budget", photo: Oren Ben Hakon

"Secondly, in the agreement approved by the Netanyahu government and the agreement approved this time, an explicit statement is included, that this does not harm Israel's principled position in relation to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The article cited the words of Attorney Ehrlich from the Kehalat Forum, who explained that in previous agreements this was fine and this time it was not, because 'in the Horizon program Israel agreed to pay the political price because the benefit was enormous - partnership in a capital-intensive project'. That is, not really an ideology, but depends on the amounts who entered

"Another essential issue that was omitted from the article was the clause in the government's decision, which requires the Ministry of Culture and Sports to formulate a support mechanism for cultural institutions that are not eligible to apply for grants."

Trooper also said: "The agreement will add significant budgets to Israeli creativity. For those within the green line - from foreign sources, and for those beyond the green line - from government sources. The world of Israeli culture is a world of under-budgeting, artists on the left and right will tell you this."

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