On video: Demonstrators in front of a conference of Palestinian creators in Haifa (Photo: Yoav Itiel)
A conference of Palestinian creators was held this evening (Sunday) in Haifa, for the sake of a dialogue between Arab creators.
Many opposed the existence of the conference, and called to prevent its existence and even to check its legality - since it is being held in an event hall belonging to a municipal corporation.
When it began, many demonstrators came to the place and protested: "Shame, IDF soldiers are not Nazis."
The purpose of the conference, according to its organizers, is to conduct an open conversation about the capacity for cultural development in the face of the Israeli political space. "Through them we will get to know the world of Palestinian culture in Haifa , and above all we will have an open conversation about the ability of the local culture to develop, under the conditions created by the Israeli space," said Beit Hagafen, the urban Jewish-Arab cultural center that is organizing the event.
The existence of the conference came to fruition despite the opposition of a number of parties, including an organization in Tselmo that appealed to the mayor of the city with a demand to prevent it on the grounds of Zoevi's support for the murder of police officers on the Temple Mount, as well as the way in which Yunus called the IDF soldiers "Nazis", and being a supporter of the BDS organization that calls for a boycott Israel. The mayor of Haifa also claimed that she "learned about the existence of the conference through the media," and instructed her legal advisor to "friskly check the legality of the conference and whether it is possible to prevent speakers who expressed support for terrorism from participating in it."
Many protesters there.
A conference of Palestinian creators at this time in Haifa (photo: Yoav Ityel)
"This is a conference that will maintain an academic discourse that does not deal with political issues or support for terrorism," said Assaf Ron, CEO of Beit Hagafen. On the other hand, the chairman of Beit Hagafen and former deputy mayor of Einat Kalish Rotem, Shahira Shelbi, called "to stand firm against Those seeking to exercise political censorship."
"Freedom of expression is examined precisely when the expression is controversial," she said.
"Political pressures, from any side, must not thwart a cultural event in Haifa."
Dozens of elected officials called on the mayor not to intervene, including well-known Haifa residents such as Sami Michael, the writer and president of the Civil Rights Association, Makram Khoury, winner of the Israel Prize for Theater and Prof. Nitza Ben Dov, laureate of the Israel Prize for Literature, Prof. Deborah Bernstein, laureate of the Israel Prize for Sociology, Prof. Aliza Shanhar, former Rector of the University of Haifa, the sculptor and painter Abed Abdi and the film director Amos Gitai.
In the petition they opened, which was signed by about 500 residents of Haifa, they claimed that they are "firmly opposed to the pressures exerted by extreme political parties".
They also claimed that the attack on freedom of expression is part of a broad attack on the democratic space and that "the denial of the existence of Palestinian culture is part of the denial of the existence of a Palestinian people."
"Surrendering to the anti-democratic wave will be a cry for generations," they said.
"It will endanger freedom of expression and creativity in Haifa, and will seriously damage its essence as a shared city."
They called on the mayor to "protect freedom of expression in the city and not succumb to cheap populism" and the general Jewish and Arab public "not to remain silent in the face of attempts at silencing and intimidation - but to stick to the common struggle to protect the democratic space and common existence in Haifa."
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"An unprecedented step that has a chilling effect on freedom of expression"
Indeed, from an internal correspondence published by the legal counsel in the afternoon - it appears that no reason was found to prevent the existence of the conference or to prevent the participation of the speakers in question.
Although, at the same time, the CEO of Beit Hagafen is required to transfer a recording or transcript of the conference. This, according to the content of the request, "so that we can stand by its content in real time." It was also stated that if the claims or some of them turn out to be true and a blatant deviation of Beit The Hafen is one of its goals stated in its statutes, which state that it aims for coexistence and good citizenship - "we will have to consider our support for it as a municipal corporation."
"Based on one complaint, Mayor Hartz Din determined that the speakers at the conference were supporters of terrorism and asked the legal counsel to look into how to prevent the conference from happening," responded lawyer Dan Yakir, the legal advisor of the Civil Rights Association.
"The opinion of the legal counsel of the municipality is also perplexing. The mechanism proposed by the legal counsel, to receive a recording of the things said at the conference and after examining them to consider the continuation of support for Beit Hagafen - is governmental censorship in its most severe form, even if it is done retrospectively. This is an unprecedented step Which is a chilling effect for freedom of expression in Haifa."
As the event began, many demonstrators came to protest - carrying flags and chanting "shame" and "IDF soldiers are not Nazis".
Police forces at the scene, including undercover police and YSM forces. As the event continued, a riot began in the hall, and YSM forces entered.
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