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The cultural branch demonstrates in front of the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem: "The helplessness leads to the collapse of the field"

Hundreds of artists, institutions and cultural bodies are protesting on Balfour Street in protest of the government's policy on the subject and the outline that only allows outdoor performances. "The halls are much safer than planes, restaurants and IKEA, and yet tens of thousands of artists have been held hostage for months."

• Benjamin Netanyahu
• Protests
• Demonstrations
• culture

Maya Horodnitzano and Sagi Ben Nun

Live broadcast from the demonstration (Photo: Roni Knafo)

Hundreds of artists, institutions and cultural bodies are demonstrating tonight (Tuesday) in front of the Prime Minister's Residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem, in protest of what they call the "destruction of the cultural industry in Israel." This is against the background of the crisis in the cultural world caused by the corona restrictions, and dissatisfaction with the outline formulated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which offers outdoor performances, and the happiness of the evening.

Actress Esti Zakheim, chairwoman of Shaham, spoke at the demonstration. "We are reading - open the halls of culture. We are at home for five months. We are sitting without a livelihood for five months ... The good news that came out yesterday as if the world of culture is coming back to life is a sham. We all know the artistic endeavor is in the halls. Kills Israeli culture. "

The demonstration was attended by, among others, the Forum of Cultural Institutions, Shaham - the Israel Actors 'Association, and EMI - Israel Artists' Association, who rejoice in the "helplessness leading to the collapse of cultural institutions, workers and artists of the cultural industry in Israel" and call for the immediate opening of It has been frozen for five months in light of the corona crisis. As part of the protest, employees of the institutions, composers, actors, musicians, dancers and other industrial workers are expected to immigrate to Jerusalem in a convoy of vehicles, where they will hold various performances and protest performances.

One of the bodies happy in front of the Prime Minister's Residence is the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, which is expected to hold a protest performance. Walla! NEWS It is known that tonight the Philharmonic will perform "The Song of the Land", written by Joshua Sobol and composed by Yoni Rechter. Among other things, the song includes the lines: "Where is that country, which was called tiny? (...) Anarchists go on the road, their skin only a shirt, and a fire burns in their head that burns everything." The orchestra will also perform "Mourning Procession" by composer Felix Mendelssohn.

More on Walla! NEWS

Cultural performances will be renewed in the open space, Gantz for demonstrators: "Theater as important as a synagogue"

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The cultural industry claims that the outline proposed by Netanyahu, and including the holding of performances in open areas, does not provide a significant answer to the needs of the industry. "Netanyahu's solution to cultural events abroad is ridiculous," he told Walla! NEWS Actor Guy Lowell, Deputy Chairman of Shaham. "When you do a show in the open air you have to adapt it to that. It means you can not use existing theater performances. How many shows like this will you be able to do during this period? How many people will it give an answer? It's a far-fetched solution and it will not work. Sometimes, very few people will make a living out of the 250,000 people who do not work. "

The Forum of Cultural Institutions also argued that there is no significant line for the industry in the outline. "Although the heads of the health system have already agreed to start opening halls gradually in the next two weeks, the 'good news' that came out of the prime minister refers only to outdoor cultural performances," the forum said, "Outdoor performances are one-time in nature, while the core cultural activity is in halls. Which, according to Professors Gamzo and Grotto, "do not constitute a source of infection."

The forum stressed that "cultural halls are much safer than planes, restaurants, gyms and IKEA, and yet tens of thousands of artists, creators, and employees of the cultural world have been held hostage for many months to arbitrary and meaningless decisions. There is no need for a 'new outline'. Good luck for 12 days and canceled without explanation. "