On the Agenda: A Mirror to Society

Playwright Anat Gov: "They do not understand the role of theater and culture in a democratic society."

By EETTA PRINCE-GIBSON
Anat Gov (photo credit: Courtesy)
Anat Gov
(photo credit: Courtesy)
In late August, more than 50 prominent performers, playwrights, directors and other theater professionals signed a petition declaring that they would refuse to perform in the West Bank city of Ariel (pop. 18,000), where a new cultural center is about to be completed at a cost of 40 million shekels ($10.5 million).
The petition, presented to the directors of all major theaters, caused a public furor. A special meeting of the Knesset Education, Culture and Sports Committee voted to strongly condemn the artists’ refusal to perform in Ariel for political reasons and urged them to withdraw their letter – which they have not. Culture Minister Limor Livnat announced that she intends to revise the criteria for state funding for theaters in a way that would bar actors from refusing to perform in certain locations. Other called for cutting off funding, which covers some 10 percent of the annual budget of the theaters.
Well-regarded playwright Anat Gov, 57, known for her outspoken positions, feminist outlook, and often provocative plays, is one of the signatories of the petition. Explaining her position to The Jerusalem Report, Gov states, “The democratic laws that apply inside the State of Israel do not apply anywhere beyond the Green Line… To come and perform in Ariel is to grant one’s tacit approval to this abnormal situation, which leaves Israel as the last country in the Western world that keeps another people under occupation.”
The Jerusalem Report: What is the background to the petition?
Anat Gov: The petition was initiated by actors, because it is the actors who will be called upon to perform on stage. As a playwright, I signed to support their right to express themselves and their right not to perform in Ariel.
Some of us have been struggling against the occupation for decades. Our feet ache from standing at demonstrations and our hands ache from holding signs, and the occupation continues. The completion of the cultural center in Ariel presents us with another opportunity to do something. To perform in Ariel is to say that there is no Green Line [that divides Israel from the territories] and that Ariel is just like any other city in Israel. But there is a Green Line and Ariel is not like any other city – it is in occupied territory.
Did you consider the timing of the release of the petition, which coincides with the resumption of direct talks and the debate over the decision regarding the extension of the settlement freeze?
Not at all. The petition came about because we became aware that the cultural center in Ariel is nearing completion. And, of course, we certainly don’t want to hurt the peace process in any way.
In truth, we did not anticipate that the petition would cause such a big commotion. But, in retrospect, I think the timing turned out to be very positive. In articles like the one recently published in Time Magazine, Israelis are portrayed as not caring about peace, not caring about Palestinians. We are showing that we do care, that we are involved. I think that we have served the State of Israel well, showing that we are not all of one opinion.
Shouldn’t a distinction be made between politics and theater?
There is no such distinction. In the State of Israel, eating a slice of bread is a political act. Building a cultural hall in Ariel – when there are perfectly good cultural halls in nearby cities that are within Israel – is a political act. The people of Ariel enjoy freedoms because those same freedoms are taken away from Palestinians – isn’t that political? Building settlements – isn’t that political? As [the Polish, Nobel prize-winning poet] Vislava Shimborska writes, everything is political.
There are numerous performers throughout the world who are boycotting Israel. Aren’t you giving them fuel for their attempts to deligitimize the State of Israel?
No, we are doing the opposite. We are insisting that we do distinguish between Israel proper and the territories and that they should make that distinction, too. We are saying very clearly that what is illigitimate on one side of the Green Line is legitimate on the other side.
You have received support from professionals abroad.
Yes, and I am not fully comfortable with that. This is an internal Israeli issue. This is about us as a democratic nation.
How has the Israeli public responded?
The response has been very mixed, since the public is very torn over the issue of the occupation. But I am already paying a certain price, as have many of the other signatories. Members of the extreme right wing have disrupted my plays, and we have been warned that they have bought up dozens of tickets to performances in which signatories are appearing or directed or wrote. The right wing has been demonstrating outside my home, harassing me.
Minister of Culture Limor Livnat has stated that the fact that “your bringing in political considerations can lead to our bringing in political considerations as well.” Other politicians have threatened to cut off your funding.
People who say these things are showing that they do not understand the role of theater and culture in a democratic society. Our role is always to hold up a mirror to the government and to society, to be critical, to be provocative. And, in a democratic society, the government subsidizes this activity, because it is healthy for society. As it is, the Israeli government contributes very little to culture – they are not doing us any favors.