Dear Andreas Oberg,

We are Israeli citizens who support the Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel's policies of colonialism, occupation and apartheid towards the Palestinian people. We have recently learned of your planned concert at the Yellow Submarine venue in Jerusalem, and therefore write in order to urge you not to come. It is important to note that your concert is sponsored by the Jerusalem municipality and The Jerusalem Foundation. Hand in hand, these two entities and settler organizations, are responsible for projects of creeping ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem (details follow).

Israel's attempts to mask systematic human-rights abuses and decades-long oppression against the Palestinians, relies on its ability to maintain a progressive and democratic image in the eyes of the international community. Israel often goes as far as promoting itself as "the only Democracy in the Middle East". But in fact, Israel practices apartheid policies, which are quite visible: Palestinian Freedom Riders have recently challenged Israeli segregated buses on which they are not allowed to travel. These buses carry instead Israeli settlers to and from their homes, illegally built on stolen land.[1][2][3]. Prominent figures, including many musicians and artists, have come here to witness for themselves the treatment of Palestinians living under Israeli rule, and have vowed not to lend their legitimacy to these racist policies. The issue of freedom of movement is connected to your concert as well: Palestinian fans of your music living under the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank or the hermetic siege of the Gaza Strip will be prohibited from coming to West Jerusalem to enjoy your performance.

The Palestinian people are being denied some elementary freedoms in addition to the freedom of movement: the freedom to access their stolen lands and the freedom to protest injustice without facing brutal repression.[4] Those living in the Gaza strip (56% of whom are children) live under a debilitating siege, limiting their access to water, medical supplies, and construction material.[5] This unimaginable situation takes place only an hour away from your scheduled performance. In the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, just 10 minutes away from your scheduled venue, kids are being abducted from their homes, in violation of international law, and taken into violent police interrogations with no access to their parents or a lawyer.[6]

Representatives of Palestinian civil society, including over 170 different organizations such as women, academic and workers organizations, have called for a boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel’s policies. International artists are asked not to collaborate with state-sponsored institutions in Israel until it abides by its obligations under international law and reverses these policies.[7] The call is all the more relevant for a concert such as yours, which is sponsored by the municipality of Jerusalem. This municipality, especially under pro-settler Mayor Nir Barkat, is responsible for severe violations of human rights against occupied East Jerusalem's Palestinian residents [8] [9]

Your concert is sponsored by the Jerusalem municipality and The Jerusalem Foundation. Hand in hand, these two entities and settler organizations, are responsible for projects of creeping ethnic cleansing in Jerusalem. Some details follow:

The Jerusalem Foundation boasts of having “pioneered much of the archaeological discovery and preservation projects including the City of David excavations, the major gates of the Old City Walls, the Tower of David Museum and much more.” [10].

In response, Israeli peace and human rights group Ir-Amim reveals that:
“In recent years, significant parts of the area have been wrestled away from the local population. Public land and property, most importantly the City of David National Park,  has been “privatized” without compensation and handed over to”Elad”, a private ideological settler organization.  Sensitive excavations also have been entrusted to Elad. The municipal and national authorities have encouraged, funded, supported, and protected this process.  Silwan is the pillar of a sweeping and systematic policy and process of gaining control of the Palestinian territories that surround the Old City, designed to cut the Old City off from East Jerusalem, and to connect it to Jewish settlement blocs in northeast Jerusalem and the E-1 area. These plans have a decisive political and international significance because their implementation would further complicate the possibility of arriving at a viable agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.” [11]

Please note that the Israeli government will endeavor to use your name to legitimize and promote the current oppressive and racist order through social media. [12] Nissim Ben-Sheetrit, former deputy director general of the Israeli foreign ministry, stated “We see culture as a hasbara [Israeli advocacy] tool of the first rank, and I do not differentiate between hasbara and culture.” [13]

Many artists have come to perform here with the good will and intention to use their art as a means of changing Israeli public opinion and spreading the message of peace. These artists have later come to realize that their performance, as well-meaning as it was, has been hijacked and used to send a green light to the ongoing Israeli policies of oppression. We would like to quote Roger Waters who says: “In my view, the abhorrent and draconian control that Israel wields over the besieged Palestinians in Gaza, and the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank (including East Jerusalem), coupled with its denial of the rights of refugees to return to their homes in Israel, demands that fair minded people around the world support the Palestinians in their civil, nonviolent resistance. For me it means declaring my intention to stand in solidarity, not only with the people of Palestine, but also with the many thousands of Israelis who disagree with their governments racist and colonial policies, by joining a campaign of Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, until it satisfies three basic human rights demanded in international law.”[14]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa said: “International Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions against the Apartheid regime, combined with the mass struggle inside South Africa, led to our victory … Just as we said during apartheid that it was inappropriate for international artists to perform in South Africa in a society founded on discriminatory laws and racial exclusivity, so it would be wrong … to perform in Israel.” [15]

Understanding that the picket line has clearly been marked and that one cannot avoid taking a political stand on this matter, we are now asking you to take a moral stand. We ask that you stand against oppression and for liberation, against deep rooted racism and in favor of justice and equality for all.

We will gladly address any question or comment you may have.

Sincerely,

BOYCOTT! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within
(http://boycottisrael.info/)

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From Israeli Citizens to Andreas Oberg: Please Do NOT Perform at the Yellow Submarine in Jerusalem