In July 2017, the play "A Woman Running Away from the Gospel", based on David Grossman's book, was staged at the Lincoln Center in New York.
The delegation that went to New York was accompanied by Minister Miri Regev, then the Minister of Culture.
The expectation was that BDS protestors would be waiting for the exhibitors outside.
The police were deployed with increased forces, and the Israeli and Jewish media prepared to cover a high-profile event.
In practice, the protesters did not arrive, the show was held without interruptions, as well as the reception that followed.
But it was precisely at the reception that squeaks were discovered.
Minister Regev, then in the midst of a political struggle against creators and their works and with a principled decision to influence the contents supported by the ministry, took the stage.
She greeted those present in English and was proud of the Israeli creation, the one she boasted about abroad but insulted its creators time and time again in Israel.
After her, David Grossman took the stage and used the stage to tell Regev what many creators felt at the time, but they did not have the opportunity and status of the esteemed writer.
"You demand loyalty from the people of culture, and this is a mistake," Grossman claimed.
"Artists insist on a different way of looking at reality, through cracks and hesitations and question marks. This is our place, we must be there. It is good for the country, it is good for the lives of Israeli citizens... We can be loyal in the deepest way to the great story, the truly great story, of Israel, which in my eyes is one of the greatest stories in history. And it is your job, Miri Regev, to ensure this. This is the most important thing entrusted to your hands, and for that we need your loyalty."
Grossman's nice words didn't help.
Regev continued to fight creators, funds, establish new criteria for support and confuse culture with advocacy.
Yes, there is a difference between culture and information and culture and entertainment.
The role of Israeli culture is not to help Israel look better in the world and not to clean up the stains created by politicians and policies.
Her role is to tell stories that will challenge the establishment and the audience.
Artists are not supposed to glorify government or glorify leaders.
While politicians talk non-stop, and have a platform and voice and expression and power, art must be sophisticated and good and interesting to give them a proper fight.
It is not certain that it has a chance of defeating political simplification.
But that's the only way she won't lose by knockout.
The challenge is to make the audience think for a moment, to ask themselves questions;
Reflect to him what he is not ready and cannot see alone or that he represses on a daily basis.
The moment when an audience meets a work is a moment when a whole display of emotions bursts out, for everyone it is a different emotion, and this is what is so beautiful in art and culture.
And it is not related to a political position, they will say "the artists are left-wing".
This is probably true, but that is only because the values of art and culture are almost always humane values, and freedom is a sacred value in creation.
When you are conservative - freedom can threaten, scare.
And so conservatism and art have a hard time going together.
Great art can certainly exist with right-wing messages.
Take "Manaich" by Roi Idan, one of the best creators in Israel, who made a wonderful series that breaks the heart.
In her Sipa there is a sharp criticism of the police and the prosecutor's office, and also a message about the investigations of Prime Minister Netanyahu. This completely contradicts my political world view, but when the situations and the story and the acting are exciting and powerful it does not matter.
Give me a hundred more "maniacs" on the screen instead of dozens of panels of shallow politicians screaming predictable sub.
This is exactly how I want to argue with the world and life.
The new Minister of Culture, Miki Zohar, has just taken office and has already announced that he will exclude budgets from "anti-Israeli works that promote the narrative of our enemies".
It was so predictable that Zohar would want to turn the Ministry of Culture into the Ministry of Propaganda, it's almost boring.
Someone explain to Zohar that no one will come to see a work that is pure propaganda, because it is much easier to turn on the TV and watch him being interviewed;
And Shimiri Regev has already done it before - and there is nothing lower in art than being an imitator.
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