Israel threat to boycott Swedish genocide conference

[Yerta Bulti]

JERUSALEM Ignoring accusations of censorship, Israel warned Monday that it would boycott an international genocide conference in Stockholm next week unless Sweden disowned an exhibit at a related art show.

The conference organizer, Krister Kumlin, has ruled out the exhibit's being removed, saying the Swedish government would never agree to such an act of censorship.

http://www.iht.com/articles/125617.html

[Resistance]

1. obviously

Israel is anti-Swedish

:eyes:

(no I am not being serious - it's a sarcastic comment on the way Israel calls anyone and everyone who criticizes their aggression 'anti-semitic')

[aquart]

2. Oy.

The protest has already been made.

They don't want to go to a genocide conference because a bunch of sanctimonious idiots are going to accuse them of killing the guys who are sworn to destroy them. And they've hardly killed any of them. Not when you compare it to the level of rage.

So I can see how they just don't wanna go.

[Resistance]

4. oh really

So all the 6 year olds, the innocent civilians and peace activists who Israel has murdered in cold blood were really sworn to destroy them?

Wow that is news to me. Where did you get your information from?

[Yerta Bulti]

8. um no

the Israeli foreign minister does not share your view, if you read the article:

Israeli participation will depend on the Swedish government's willingness to "disassociate itself" from the art work, which depicts a smiling Palestinian suicide bomber, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said at a Jerusalem news conference. "Then and only then will I consider positively what needs to be done," he said.

http://www.iht.com/articles/125617.html

[Yerta Bulti]

18. In many articles

much has been made of an agreement between Sweden and Israel on conditions for Israels attendance of the conference, namely that the Middle East conflict was not to be raised. Remember that this exhibition is a part of a broader conference on genocide. This is the only quote on the subject I can find from a Swedish source:

Other reports quoted Israeli officials as saying that with the exhibit, Stockholm had broken a promise to Israel that the conflict in the Middle East would not be raised during the conference. Palestinian representatives have not been invited to the meeting.

However, the secretary general of the conference, Krister Kumlin, said no such agreement existed, and said his government would not pressure the museum to remove the artwork. "The Israelis seem to be under the impression that the government controls the cultural events on the sidelines. We can’t intervene, that’s called censorship," he said.

http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en51253&F_catID=&f_type=source

Most other references to this agreement come from Israeli sources, presenting the presence of the artwork as a breach of this agreement. The following is typical:

The provocative installation was part of an exhibition related to the conference. Sweden had agreed in advance that the Middle East conflict would not be included in the exhibition so as not to politicize it. That agreement had been violated, said Shalom. Israel has asked the Swedish government to dissociate itself from the exhibit. If this request is met, it will assure Israel's participation in the conference.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1074485518874&p=1008596981749

So, perhaps the scenario was that an arrangement existed to have no mention of the the Israel / Palestine conflict as part of the "official" conference, this in order to secure Israeli participation. Meanwhile someone amongst the conference organisers agreed to have this exhibit displayed as a "cultural event on the sidelines" - that is: displayed right outside the chambers the official conference was taking place, to be viewed day in day out. I read in one of the articles that "cultural expression" is protected by the swedish constitution, thus beyond the scope of the conference organisers.

Due to the ambiguous meaning of the artwork and the manner and circumstances of it's exhibition, this episode could be viewed as someone choosing to bait the Israelis, or it could have been intended as a poignant reminder of the ongoing murder of Jews in their homeland.

I find it really hard to answer, personally. Maybe it was a bit of both. I reckon it was an attempt to present an object for contemplation, but it seems to have too easily misinterpreted as an object of bad taste.

[burythehatchet]

3. Its clear, the Swedes are anti-semites

neutral bastards

[JasonDeter]

5. The Swiss are obviously easily entertained.

A drooling artist with a crayon drawing dots on a page...oooooooh!

[Must_B_Free]

9. How about Serrano's "Piss Christ" - a crucifix in a jar of piss?

Noone defaced that artwork... Interesting double standard.

[JasonDeter]

12. I don't think I have to defend Christ.

He can and will defend Himself. I would not go to see it and would not want Gov funding for it. But if people are silly enough to stand in front of it and call it art...whatever. Inflamitory propaganda that deminishes the murder of innocent Israeli's is another story. A moral people must oppose this trash called art!

[Yerta Bulti]

6. there seems to be a competition for pettiness 2004 here...

Israel's Embassy in Stockholm will be relocated
By JPOST.COM STAFF

The Swedish landlord of Israel's Embassy in Stockholm has asked that the embassy be moved to a different location, Israel's Ambassador to Sweden, Zvi Mazel, told Israel Radio Monday morning.

The landlord told the diplomatic staff that the Israeli presence in the building poses a threat to the other residents of the building, according to the ambassador.

Israel's Embassy in Stockholm has been in the same building over 50 years.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1074485517260&p=1008596981749

[amber dog democrat]

7. The interview on NPR

with the Swedish artist who created the installation. It seems like the Israeli government is over reacting. Granted they are in a bad situation, but the actions of the ambassador were not justified.

[Must_B_Free]

10. Israel stepped in dog doo on this one

and now they're tracking it around.

[Nlighten1]

11. What arrogance...

We don't like your art! We can't handle an opinion that may differ from our own!

[DuctapeFatwa]

13. How dare Sweden permit art that displeases the Israeli government!

sharon must send a fleet of tanks to occupy Stockholm immediately.

[madrchsod]

15. my kin has"saabs"

and the most advanced watercraft in the world-"bring them on" as bush would say.....

[madrchsod]

14. although god knows i

could be wrong, but i seems the destruction of archaeological sites the the holy land by the bombings,the cats,and the great wall of Israel is far more important than an art object in Sweden. but as long as the sharonists think that these sites are unimportant ,i guess we just should shut our mouths and let them do it. will Israel be judged by their actions and deeds? i guess that`s up to god,isn`t it.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

16. are we going to have "freedom meatballs" now?

[DuctapeFatwa]

17. Maybe if Sweden will agree to blow up the artist's house, beat up his kids

kill a few dozen of his neighbors, and block food, water or medicine to his home town for a couple of years, Israel will reconsider and attend the conference and educate the Swedes about human rights and freedom in a western democracy.

[legin]

19. Let them boycott the conference

Sod the bloody prima donna's.

If they turn up, they turn up. If they don't, they don't. Whatever.

[legin]

20. They probably don't want to turn up anyway

because they know someone is going to mention the Palestinians.

They probably been dreading this conference for months.

[Lars39]

21. I think the diplomat was primed to react negatively against any exhibit

concerning Israel. Wouldn't have mattered what it was. He threw a tantrum 'cause he knew he could get away with it, diplomatic immunity.

[Moderator]

22. Locking

When posting in LBN, please use the article title as the title of your thread.

"Israel warns of boycott over art flap"