The Blogs: Letter to Artists-for-Palestine UK

I wrote an email to “Artists for Palestine UK” in October 2023, around the 16th October; it was the early days of calls for a ceasefire, on international marches pro-Palestine/anti-Israel, and of many calls to boycott anything to do with Israelis in the UK. I still haven’t received a response, and I guess I will probably never get one – which is fine. But nevermind, I spoke to many fellow artists since then, and many felt the same as me – and so it all felt a little bit better. An artist-friend asked me to share it here, and so here it is, in a slightly different format; maybe you have similar thoughts and so we might all feel less alone in this. With love for all, and hope for real (and I say: real) understanding and peace, Luca xx

Letter to “Artists for Palestine UK” – Oct 16th 2023

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Dear Artists-for-Palestine UK,

I respect all your passion

to upheld

(as we also all support)

the human rights of Palestinians.

Very good.

But I question and don’t accept

your strong efforts to

build polarization

and for hating Israel so very much

as you seem to always do.

A bit intellect-lazy and not “love feeling”.

I also really do not understand

why you are not openly

vocal against Hamas:

Why?

Never…ever…

…whatsoever.

When you get people

to sign for ceasefire and against-war

(which is all good to support)

you do not mention what Hamas

does in Gaza at all.

Zero…nada.

What about

Hamas’ undemocratic way

in how they treat their own

Palestinian populations?

Silence. It seems to just

not be an issue.

In all your letters

you do not mention

the wide terrorist network

of tunnels’ underground;

never…

…not once…jamais.

Those tunnels well created

with international NGO

and UN money

maybe even (by proxy) with your support;

perhaps you should also boycott those?

Go on…

And of course you put the fault

only on Israel

for any civilian casualties,

but none to Hamas;

not once.

Never seen it.

The Hamas which you call

“resistance” and “government” of Gaza,

who hides in the tunnels and

uses civilians as “martyrs”

and human shields:

Why there are not bomb-shelters built for children?

In addition, in your posts and letters

there is no mention whatsoever

in how Hamas brought back dead

broken bodies of Israelis as prizes

in their pick-ups full of hate.

Didn’t you see that?

And what about the streets of Gaza

and how the population (civilians

– of course, not all of them

– but many) were celebrating…?

Where are your letters against that?

Come on…

I believe, in order to be

a stronger movement for peace,

you should really at the very least

be more vocally against Hamas.

Please. Just be.

Please.

You should be condemning

their ideology

and also their undemocratic

and violent governance of Gaza

towards the Palestinian people who we love.

Yes, we deeply do.

There needs to be a stronger and

clearer detachment between

the “cause” of Hamas

and the “one” of Palestinians;

you seem not to understand that.

Please review.

Peace is possible

but you need to stop

being so polarized

and start working together

to build a better future.

Please just do.

Let’s stand together

against Hamas,

and let’s have

Israelis and Palestinians

to be in peace.

Let’s.

With best wishes,

Luca

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