Cultural boycott of Israel: Tel Aviv architecture exhibition cancelled in Brussels

In what constitutes the first major cultural boycott of the State of Israel in Europe, the "Tel Aviv - White City" exhibition, which was due to open in Brussels on 20 February, has been cancelled. Sadly, this has happened in Brussels, the capital of Europe, the city where the EU institutions are based.

The reason offered for the boycott by one of the organisers is :

"Given the current circumstances of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, La Cambre School of Architecture does not wish to be associated with this event in any way whatsoever." The Cambre School of Architecture asked the Civa [Centre international pour la ville, l’architecture et le paysage, a co-organiser] to consider "suspending the exhibition [i.e. cancel/boycott] because it does not seem ethically acceptable to highlight the architecture of a country which, at the same time, is engaged in the systematic destruction of the physical infrastructure of a neighbour, not to mention of course civilian casualties. There is much cynicism in going ahead with this exhibition, especially as the event is being organised with the support of the authorities that are pursuing this policy which meets with the opprobrium of the international community."

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Source: article in La Libre Belgique

Visit the exhibition website: Tel Aviv White City

See also: Tel Aviv, the white city