The Collective has signed on to a declaration from the group Punks Against Apartheid. We’ve long been supporters of the Palestinian struggle (our latest record has several songs written about the subject) and are proud to support this call to support Palestinian liberation. We were alerted to this group on the Rebel Frequencies blog written by fan and supporter Alexander Billet. The full text of the declaration is below.
POINTS OF UNITY
In whatever our capacity as artists and musicians, we pledge to respect the 2005 call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against the state of Israel, andhereby endorse the following points of unity:
- We, Punks Against Apartheid, exist to foment greater solidarity between the global punk community and the struggle for Palestinian liberation.
- We honor the call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) in its entirety. We will not play or do public speaking events in Israel in violation of Palestinian civil society’s call for cultural boycott.
- We will not perform, exhibit or otherwise participate in events which deceptively suggest symmetry or shared responsibility between “both sides” for Israel’s ongoing colonial oppression of the Palestinian people and its system of apartheid.
- We seek, wherever possible, to use our art, music and expression to provide informational support and real solidarity to the cause of Palestinian liberation.
- We will uphold the cultural boycott of Israel until it meets its moral and legal obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination.
OUR PURPOSE AND MISSION
Punks Against Apartheid is an emerging global network of musicians, artists, and activists opposed to all forms of oppression, exploitation and racism, with a particular distaste for apartheid and colonialism. We maintain that the policies of the Israeli government both in the Occupied Territories and within “Israel proper” towards Palestinians qualify as apartheid, and consequently that Palestinian struggle must be supported.
We urge all artists–especially punks!–to heed the BDS call and recognize the importance of their voices being raised against the apartheid state. Punk has had an important history in politicizing its listeners and forming a distinct counter-cultural message against the complacency of mainstream industry music. During the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, punk bands around the world responded to the call for solidarity. As punks and people inspired by this legacy, we hope to maintain the integrity of that history by expressing our unwavering support for Palestinian resistance to the occupation and convincing our fellow punks to do so as well.
As PACBI writes, “international visitors who insist on including Israeli cultural institutions in their itinerary, in violation of the boycott, should not expect to be welcome by Palestinian cultural institutions.”
Artists in solidarity with the Palestinian call should not alienate the very people they claim to support by playing shows in Israel, but rather openly and clearly refuse to do so. We guarantee you–the allies and fans you will gain will be more faithful than the suits who will use your show as a justification for Israel’s respectable status on the international scene, in order to cover up 60 years of ethnic cleansing.
The cultural boycott of Israel, as a key component of the global BDS Movement, shall be maintained until Israel meets its moral and legal obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination by:
- Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall;
- Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and
- Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.
Viva le punk! Viva Palestina!
