TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH FALSE RUMORS

Sep 05.09

 So– I wake up this morning to a barrage of emails giving me a link to a web posting that has been widely picked up. It says that Rabbi Hier at the Simon Wiesenthal Center (he and I were friends—I thought) claims I support the destruction of Israel because I signed (along with many other artists, historians, including eight Israelis, mostly filmmakers) a petition protesting the Toronto International Film Festival’s decision to feature a celebratory “spotlight” on Tel Aviv. We understand that by doing this the festival has become, whether knowingly or not,  a participant in a cynical PR campaign to improve Israel’s image, make her appear less war-like. The Israeli Consul General said a year ago that Toronto would be the launch site of an extensive “Brand Israel” campaign. Artists and others of us who love Israel do not want art to be used to whitewash the tragedies committed against Palestinians, most recently in last winter’s terrible war in Gaza (1400 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, many more wounded, and there are documented human rights violations) and the ongoing blockade of Gaza that is deepening a serious humanitarian crisis, wreaking havoc on the lives of innocent people, and preventing reconstruction in the aftermath of the attack.
The letter we signed did not —repeat: DID NOT–call for a boycott of any part of the Toronto Film Festival. In fact, many of the people who signed the letter are showing films there and many of the Israeli filmmakers that go to the festival show films critical of Israel. We protest the use of Tel Aviv to rebrand Israel. We are standing up for integrity of art, not censoring anyone. The letter certainly did not call for the destruction of Israel or call into question the legitimacy of Tel Aviv as a city. But In the year when Gaza happened there shouldn’t be a celebratory spotlight on Tel Aviv.

I have been to Israel many times. The first was in the early 1980s and it was love at first sight…for the country and for its people. I stayed in a Kibbutz with the great Israeli novelist, Amos Oz, and his family. I raised money for a senior center in Haifa, for a girl’s shelter in Jerusalem. I have spoken at the Hebrew University. I traveled into Lebanon with the Israeli army in 1981. I went deep into Russia in the  80s to secretly meet with Soviet Refusenik, Ida Nudel, after which I a national speaking tour in the U. S. to build support for letting Ida go to Israel where she now lives. In other words, I have been intimately involved with Israel over 3 decades. On almost every visit I also went into the West Bank, met with Palestinian artists, visited Palestinian refugee camps, drove through the Israeli settlements that encroach increasingly into Palestinian territory. I have seen suffering on both sides. It is out of love for Israel and all that it promised to be that I protest the use of art (which is meant to search for truth) in this branding campaign. The greatest “re-branding” of Israel would be to celebrate that country’s robust peace movement by allowing aid to be delivered to Gaza and stopping expansion of the settlements. That’s the way to show Israel’s commitment to peace, not a PR campaign. There will be no two-state solution unless this happens.      


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Responses to “ TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH FALSE RUMORS ”

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  1. Allan says:
    September 15, 2009 at 10:15 pm

    Using this same logic you could argue that a festival dedicated to showing films about LA, while US troops are engaged in the occupation of Iraq is a whitewash too

    There is more to Israel than war. There are people going on with their lives and movies being made. If you demanded a similar action against any festival focusing on say New York or London filmmakers, you would not be accused of bigotry.

  2. Dr. E. Ben-Sefer says:
    September 18, 2009 at 8:58 am

    So thrilled you have so many Jewish friends and so concerned about Israel and support the Peace movement. By the way, are you planning on protesting films produced by Palestinian Arabs at a film festival too? Equal opportunity, after all. and we know you support that concept. What about their Peace movement? The only movement we saw in Israel were rockets flying at civilians.
    Let me remind you Ms. Fonda, you are an accomplished performer, that does not give you any credibility in politics. On the contrary, your history is full of regrets for stupid actions with regard to politics, let’s not bring them all up here. You might be best advised to do what you know how to do well, sell exercise tapes, tout face creams, get an acting gig if you can and let people use their intelligence to make decisions instead of indulge in covert censorship that you call artistic protest. Artistic my foot.
    Try fixing up the mess in the US first, you certainly have enough to choose from there.
    Dr. Ben-Sefer

  3. Michael H Ballard says:
    September 20, 2009 at 7:22 pm

    Hello Miss Fonda

    I do enjoy your deep, active engagement in life.
    Wishing you continued peace, health and happiness.

    I trust you enjoyed Toronto while you where here.

    Michael

  4. Typical says:
    October 8, 2009 at 8:51 am

    It’s very sad that Israel is the only country singled out for boycotts and this kind of abuse.

    Consider the situation in Zimbabwe, Iran or Burma. Where are you all then?

  5. Aniba says:
    January 16, 2010 at 12:33 pm

    Peace Be Upon You Mrs Jane Fonda

    I’m Algerian writer and I want to tell you : Thanks for your courage !
    In Palestine we want justice before peace, because when we obtain justice, peace could be exist.

    Afaf Aniba

  6. Shahed K says:
    January 23, 2010 at 12:11 am

    Thank you so much Jane Fonda for telling the truth! I’m late commenting this but I want you to know how thankful I am that you are talking about this. Rarely do any celebrities or even newscasters speak out against the crimes Israel commits. I am a Palestinian and watching the years go by with various tragedies in Palestine I wonder if anyone over here in US knows about what is going on; it feels as if the world has forgotten about us.

    Thank You,

    Shahed K.

  7. maik says:
    January 30, 2010 at 6:52 pm

    how do you rationalise this admirable position and your emplpoyment with L’Oreal _ a company that finances miliotary research in Israel and operates a factory built on land that was ethnically cleansed of Palestinians in 1952 (a year when there were no wars and no excuse for driving these people from their homes)
    speak up Jane _ you can’t have your cake and eat it too _ you’re being given achance to respond before i release a movie about your involvement with this war-mongering international company _ and believe me that’s just the first step _
    remember what it’s like to be on the ground 24/7 activist (as opposed to being a guest speaker)
    well that’s what’s coming for you right now _
    explain how/why you are ignorant of the actions of a company you profess to love so much

  8. Colin In Canada says:
    September 26, 2010 at 4:45 pm

    You neglect to mention that those in gaza do not want peace. Why else would they choose Hamas, who openly call for Israel’s destruction and death to all Jews?
    Or is that of no consequence to you?

    Are you now saying that Israel in not allowed to defend itself?

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