Queen's Festival Faces Palestinian Protests

["Danielle Ni Dhighe" <danielle@xxxxxxxx>]

South Belfast News
18 October 2002

Queen's Festival Faces Palestinian Protests
By Connla Young

The Belfast Festival at Queen's University is facing a storm of
protest from Palestinian supporters over the hosting of an Israeli
dance troupe as part of this year's programme.

Huge pressure is mounting on the organisers of the world-famous
festival to axe the Israeli government-backed Yossi Yungman dance
show's plans to perform in the city early next month.

The South Belfast News has learned that a leading pro-Palestinian
support group, the Irish Palestinian Solidarity Movement, is planning
a widespread series of protests across South Belfast in an effort to
force organisers to drop the Israeli Embassy sponsored act from their
schedule.

The controversy has erupted in a week in which ten Palestinian
civilians were killed by Israeli military forces throughout the
occupied territory.

And while it is not clear where or when the protests will take place,
furious members of the Irish Palestinian Solidarity Movement have
vowed not to let what they described as "a blatant Israeli charm
offensive" go unchallenged.

Palestinian Queen's University student and IPSM member Ismael Al-
Hinti, has spoken of his shock at the decision by festival organisers
to give the Yossi Yungman Dance Company the green light to appear in
Belfast.

"Part of the festival promotion slog is 'celebrating life'. But how
the festival organisers can seek and accept the sponsorship of a
state like Israel - that denies the Palestinian people the right to
life - is hypocritical," said Ismael.

"There can be no justification for it and as a Palestinian it is
insulting. We have planned a series of big protests if the Festival
chiefs won't listen to our concerns.

"The Israelis have spent millions trying to promote a positive image
but organisers should now acknowledge the mistake they have made and
refuse to allow the act to ahead," he added.

Another leading IPSM activist Feilim O hAdhmail has called on Belfast
City Council, one of the main event sponsors of the Belfast Festival
to cut all financial assistance.

"Belfast City Council offer the festival funding each year, that
should now be cut," said Feilim O hAdhmail.

"There is a lot of anger that the Belfast City Council be associated
with this. It is not how most people would like to see their rates
spent," he added

However Director of the Belfast Festival at Queen's Stella Hall said
she believed that artists should not be held accountable for the
actions of their government.

"I am sympathetic to the Palestinian people and have deep and abiding
concerns with regards to their situation," said Stella Hall.

"I will not reconsider the invitation at this stage, the event is
contracted, advertised and tickets have been sold. Their transport is
contributed to by the Israeli embassy, a normal contribution made by
any government to the support of its artists," she added.

A spokesman for Belfast City Council confirmed that its Arts sub-
committee funded the festival to the tune of £47,000.

"The council does not have any input into the festival programme. The
grant was awarded in 2001," the spokesman added.



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