Dear Friends,<\/p>\n
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Culture Minister Miri Regev never rests, and neither do we. In recent weeks she contacted the mayors of Jerusalem and Haifa, calling on them to prevent certain events from taking place in their cities. This week, following ACRI’s appeal, the Deputy Attorney General explained to the Minister, once again,\u00a0that she does not have the authority to interfere in the content of cultural productions, even if she dislikes them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The remarks by Deputy Attorney General Dina Zilber say it all: This is not the\u00a0first<\/a>,\u00a0second<\/a>, or\u00a0third<\/a>\u00a0time that we have objected the Culture Minister\u2019s attempts to restrict opinions and ideas in the cultural sphere, and intimidate artists and cultural institutions. This also is not the first time that the Deputy Attorney General has had to clarify the legal limits to the Minister following an ACRI appeal. It is disconcerting that a minister in Israel must be reminded repeatedly of basic democratic principles. However, we promise to keep reminding her if she insists on forgetting. Yours, Dear Friends, Culture Minister Miri Regev never rests, and neither do we. In recent weeks she contacted the mayors … Read more
\n\u201cThis accumulation of incidents is concerning, as it relays a problematic message – that actions taken by cultural institutions and artists are always being examined by the state\u2019s watchful eye, and that they are subject to the authorities\u2019 constant supervision and monitoring, which tests the essence of freedom of expression.\u201d She went on to stress: “Under the existing legal framework, funding cannot be withheld from the cultural sphere due to the content of the works presented and performed, or events held at specific institutions.\u201d<\/strong>
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\nDan Yakir
\nChief Legal Counsel
\nAssociation for Civil Rights in Israel<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"