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Israel needs cultural bridges, not boycotts – letter from JK Rowling, Simon Schama and others Israel needs cultural bridges, not boycotts – letter from JK Rowling, Simon Schama and others
(1 day later)
In February 2015 you published a letter from UK artists announcing their intention to culturally boycott Israel.In February 2015 you published a letter from UK artists announcing their intention to culturally boycott Israel.
We do not believe cultural boycotts are acceptable or that the letter you published accurately represents opinion in the cultural world in the UK.We do not believe cultural boycotts are acceptable or that the letter you published accurately represents opinion in the cultural world in the UK.
Therefore we are writing to declare our support for the launch and aims of Culture for Coexistence – an independent UK network representing a cross-section from the cultural world.Therefore we are writing to declare our support for the launch and aims of Culture for Coexistence – an independent UK network representing a cross-section from the cultural world.
We will be seeking to inform and encourage dialogue about Israel and the Palestinians in the wider cultural and creative community. While we may not all share the same views on the policies of the Israeli government, we all share a desire for peaceful coexistence.We will be seeking to inform and encourage dialogue about Israel and the Palestinians in the wider cultural and creative community. While we may not all share the same views on the policies of the Israeli government, we all share a desire for peaceful coexistence.
Cultural boycotts singling out Israel are divisive and discriminatory, and will not further peace. Open dialogue and interaction promote greater understanding and mutual acceptance, and it is through such understanding and acceptance that movement can be made towards a resolution of the conflict.Cultural boycotts singling out Israel are divisive and discriminatory, and will not further peace. Open dialogue and interaction promote greater understanding and mutual acceptance, and it is through such understanding and acceptance that movement can be made towards a resolution of the conflict.
Ultimately we all believe in a two-state solution so that the national self-determination of both peoples is realised, with the state of Israel and a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security. Ultimately we all believe in a two-state solution so that the national self-determination of both peoples is realised, with the state of Israel and a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security.
Cultural engagement builds bridges, nurtures freedom and positive movement for change. We wholly endorse encouraging such a powerful tool for change rather than boycotting its use.Naomi AldermanShay AlkalayBennett ArronJonathan AycliffeDaniel BattsekJohn BattsekGuto Bebb MPGina BellmanMichael BergJosh BergerBob Blackman MPNeil BlairIwona BlazwickElli BobrovizkiGabi BobrovizkiMelvyn BraggDavid Burrowes MPTeresa CahillColin CallenderSimon ChinnDanny CohenFrank CohenProf Susan CollinsWendy CopeLoraine da CostaMarcus DaveyOliver Dowden MPDaniel Easterman Ruth Dudley EdwardsMichael Dugher MPBrian EliasYigal ElsteinAllie EsiriMichael EthertonMoris Farhi MBENiall FergusonStanley FinkLarry FinlayAmanda ForemanMichael FosterAndrew FranklinNick FraserMike Freer MPJulian FriedmanSonia FriedmanJonny GellerAdèle GerasDavid GlickTaryn GoldAmanda GoldmanRichard GoldsteinMichael GradeMaurice GranLinda GrantMiriam GrossTom GrossStephen GroszPeter & Martine HalbanJan HarlanRonald HarwoodNoreena HertzJohn HeymanLilian HochhauserTom HollandJohn Howell MPJudy IronsideDavid JappAndrea Jenkyns MPZygi KamasaJack KirklandEvgeny KissinMichael KuhnDavid KustowNorman LebrechtSam LeiferTeddy LeiferCamilla LewisDavid LevyJohn LevyMaureen LipmanAndrew MacdonaldHilary MantelStephen MargolisDan MarksLaurence MarksDenis MacEoinCharlotte MendelsonYael MerIvan MoscovichMaajid NawazAnthony NewmanGavin NewmanHayley NewsteadPaula NobleTracy-Ann ObermanMatthew Offord MPCosh OmarMartin PaisnerRobin PauleyLeo PearlmanDaniel PeltzAndrew Percy MPEric Pickles MPStuart Polak Monica PorterGail RebuckCharlie RedmayneAndrew RobertsJK RowlingPaul RuddockProf Carol Rumens Marc SamuelsonCharles Robert Saumarez Smith Prof Robert SaxtonJoanna ScanlanKenny SchachterSimon SchamaSimon Sebag MontefioreFrancesca SegalAnthony SeldonRick SenatZaab SethnaJonathan ShalitBernard ShaperoDavid ShelleyClive SinclairDaniel SilverLucy SilverDan SilverstonChloe Smith MPKaren SmithMark SmithProf Ashley SolomonClaire SpellerRob SussGeorge SzirtesPaul TrijbitsKevin TsjiuharaGabe TurnerMoni VarmaRebecca WallersteinerMinette WaltersZoë WanamakerAngela Watkinson MPGeorge WeidenfeldFay WeldonHeather Wheeler MPRobert WinstonRabbi Jonathan WittenbergDavid YoungToby Young Cultural engagement builds bridges, nurtures freedom and positive movement for change. We wholly endorse encouraging such a powerful tool for change rather than boycotting its use.Naomi AldermanShay AlkalayBennett ArronDaniel BattsekJohn BattsekGuto Bebb MPGina BellmanMichael BergJosh BergerBob Blackman MPNeil BlairIwona BlazwickElli BobrovizkiGabi BobrovizkiMelvyn BraggDavid Burrowes MPTeresa CahillColin CallenderSimon ChinnDanny CohenFrank CohenProf Susan CollinsWendy CopeLoraine da CostaMarcus DaveyOliver Dowden MPRuth Dudley EdwardsMichael Dugher MPBrian EliasYigal ElsteinAllie EsiriMichael EthertonMoris Farhi MBENiall FergusonStanley FinkLarry FinlayAmanda ForemanMichael FosterAndrew FranklinNick FraserMike Freer MPJulian FriedmanSonia FriedmanJonny GellerAdèle GerasDavid GlickTaryn GoldAmanda GoldmanRichard GoldsteinMichael GradeMaurice GranLinda GrantMiriam GrossTom GrossStephen GroszPeter & Martine HalbanJan HarlanRonald HarwoodNoreena HertzJohn HeymanLilian HochhauserTom HollandJohn Howell MPJudy IronsideDavid JappAndrea Jenkyns MPZygi KamasaJack KirklandEvgeny KissinMichael KuhnDavid KustowNorman LebrechtSam LeiferTeddy LeiferCamilla LewisDavid LevyJohn LevyMaureen LipmanAndrew MacdonaldHilary MantelStephen MargolisDan MarksLaurence MarksDenis MacEoinCharlotte MendelsonYael MerIvan MoscovichMaajid NawazAnthony NewmanGavin NewmanHayley NewsteadPaula NobleTracy-Ann ObermanMatthew Offord MPCosh OmarMartin PaisnerRobin PauleyLeo PearlmanDaniel PeltzAndrew Percy MPEric Pickles MPStuart Polak Monica PorterGail RebuckCharlie RedmayneAndrew RobertsJK RowlingPaul RuddockProf Carol Rumens Marc SamuelsonCharles Robert Saumarez Smith Prof Robert SaxtonJoanna ScanlanKenny SchachterSimon SchamaSimon Sebag MontefioreFrancesca SegalAnthony SeldonRick SenatZaab SethnaJonathan ShalitBernard ShaperoDavid ShelleyClive SinclairDaniel SilverLucy SilverDan SilverstonChloe Smith MPKaren SmithMark SmithProf Ashley SolomonClaire SpellerRob SussGeorge SzirtesPaul TrijbitsKevin TsjiuharaGabe TurnerMoni VarmaRebecca WallersteinerMinette WaltersZoë WanamakerAngela Watkinson MPGeorge WeidenfeldFay WeldonHeather Wheeler MPRobert WinstonRabbi Jonathan WittenbergDavid YoungToby Young
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
• The list of signatories on this letter was amended on 23 October 2015. An earlier version included the names Jonathan Aycliffe and Daniel Easterman. They are in fact pen names used by another signatory, Denis MacEoin, and had been included in error with the submitted letter.