Cancellation of St. Louis Pro-Palestine Art Exhibit ‘Shameful’
The St. Louis nonprofit art gallery Craft Alliance removed the exhibit Planting Seeds, Sprouting Hope which featured pro-Palestine works by Dani Collette and Allora McCullough. Craft Alliance’s leadership said the exhibition was removed because it violated “policies on anti-bullying, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility” and “contained antisemitic imagery and slogans calling for violence and the destruction of ... Israel.”
The latter refers to the phrases “Land Back,” “Indigenous to Palestine” and “From the River to the Sea.” The artists said their teaching positions at Craft Alliance have also been revoked.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), on Tuesday condemned the move.
In a statement, CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“It is shameful that this gallery would censor art and punish artists on the basis of a totally false accusation. This is a complete betrayal of the principle of free expression. We urge Craft Alliance to reinstate the exhibition and rehire the artists.”
He noted that in May, CAIR called on Facebook’s Oversight Board to reject pressure to recommend that the social media company censor posts or hashtags using the phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” based on the false claim that it inherently violates Meta’s Community Standards, or rules on Hate Speech, Violence and Incitement or Dangerous Organizations and Individuals.
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CAIR’s letter to the Facebook Oversight Board said in part:
“Countering real antisemitism is important, but it is also critically important for Facebook and other social media companies to reject pressure from the Israeli government and its supporters to suppress advocacy for Palestinian human rights based on false allegations of antisemitism.
“Most Palestinian, Jewish, and other activists who use the phrase have explained that they are calling for Palestinians and Israelis to live together in a single state with equal rights for all. No reasonable person would call this antisemitic, even if they disagree with that proposed solution. In stark contrast, the Israeli government’s interpretation of “Israeli security control from the river to the sea” signifies a permanent occupation where Palestinians are denied rights…”
Source: Cair.com
