Following the movement of Israeli theater professionals who authored a letter refusing to perform in the settlement of Ariel on August 27th,and the attack on them that ensued, American counterparts have come together with their own statement of support. Organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, a national Jewish-American organization, the statement has been signed by over 150 theater and film professionals representing some of the most respected and renowned artists in theater and film – including Four Pulitzer Prize winners, several recipients of Guggenheim Fellowships, a MacArthur Fellowship, a National Medal of Honor,and scores of recipients of the highest U.S. acting honors, including Tony Awards, Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, Obie Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and more. Some names include Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon, world-renowned playwright Tony Kushner, 21-time Tony winner for productions of “The Pajama Game” to “Phantom of the Opera” Harold Prince , star of the film “Yentl,” Mandy Patinkin, and Cameri co-founder Theodore Bikel, among many others. Organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, a national Jewish-American organization, the statement has been signed by over 150 theater and film professionals representing a wide geographic, political, cultural and professional range – including Four Pulitzer winners, several recipients of Guggenheim Fellowships, a MacArthur Fellowship, a National Medal of Honor,and scores of recipients of the highest U.S. acting honors, including Tony Awards, Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, Obie Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and more. Some names include Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon, Oscar winner Vanessa Redgrave, world-renowned playwright Tony Kushner, 21-time Tony winner for productions of “The Pajama Game” to “Phantom of the Opera” Harold Prince , star of the film “Yentl,” Mandy Patinkin, and Cameri co-founder Theodore Bikel, among many others. Rebecca Vilkomerson, Executive Director of Jewish Voice for Peace: “The response of American artists to the courageous actions of their Israeli counterparts is just phenomenal. It is especially notable that so many of the signatories are Jewish Americans with long-standing connections to Israel. We hope that the strong show of solidarity by Americans in response to these brave Israelis will help spark a new conversation in both countries, one that acknowledges that the Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are illegal by every measure of international law, contribute to the daily violation of human rights of Palestinians, and are a major obstacle to a just peace in the region.” Text of the statement: On August 27th, dozens of Israeli actors, directors, and playwrights made the brave decision not to perform in Ariel, one of the largest of the West Bank settlements, which by all standards of international law are clearly illegal. As American actors, directors, critics and playwrights, we salute our Israeli counterparts for their courageous decision. Most of us are involved in daily compromises with wrongful acts. When a group of people suddenly have the clarity of mind to see that the next compromise looming up before them is an unbearable one — and when they somehow find the strength to refuse to cross that line — we can't help but be overjoyed and inspired and grateful. It's thrilling to think that these Israeli theatre artists have refused to allow their work to be used to normalize a cruel occupation which they know to be wrong, which violates international law and which is impeding the hope for a just and lasting peace for Israelis an Palestinians alike. They've made a wonderful decision, and they deserve the respect of people everywhere who dream of justice. We stand with them. PSCC
