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"But is it Unethical? Further thoughts on the Koffler debacle"

7 Comments -

1 – 7 of 7
Anonymous Marissa Neave said...

The problem is that the Koffler Centre has disassociated itself with a Jewish artist who is (rightly) critical of Israel's occupation of Palestine. That doesn't make Katz less Jewish, or less empathetic to the historical plight and persecution of Jews.

Israel is a self-proclaimed secular state who has systemically enacted (and maintains) a genocide upon Palestinians. The Koffler Centre doesn't exist to proliferate Israel's propaganda to the contrary; it is not representative of the state of Israel. In fact, the Koffler mission statement barely addresses that they are even a Jewish organization.

I don't know if it's unethical to have axed Katz's project, but it's certainly tasteless and indicative of the scope and depth of Israel's PR machine that frequently bullies dissenters into silence.

June 8, 2009 at 4:09 PM

Blogger Leah Sandals said...

Hi Marissa,

Thanks for your comment.

To be clear, I myself am critical of Israel's actions towards Palestinians in my own political views.

But if the Koffler is a self-consciously pro-Israel organization, they should, as you suggest, state this in their own mission statement, perhaps make it explicit. It would, one thinks, be unethical to apply for public funds under false pretenses of who one wishes to distribute said funds to. Perhaps that's the key?

I agree with you on the tastelessness of the Koffler's actions. My own values would fall on the side of (a) carrying through with one's professional contracts and (b) using this as an opportunity to have dialogues about diverse views on Israel and, perhaps, faith in general.

June 8, 2009 at 6:40 PM

Anonymous Marissa Neave said...

Hi Leah, now that I've given this some more thought in the context of your post and comment, I'm going to say that the Koffler Centre's decision to cancel Katz's project for the reasons they did IS unethical. It's discrimination, plain and simple.

What I was trying to flesh out before is that by canceling Katz's project, the Koffler Centre -- a Jewish organization -- attempts to delegitimize Katz as a Jew, as if her views on Israel make her a bad Jew, or less of a Jew, or less attuned to her faith.

I also agree with your practical concerns about professional contracts. I think in many situations, terminating a contract for personal differences would be considered morally wrong, and is especially in this case in light of the reasons.

While it's very sad that the Koffler Centre exists and functions within this discriminatory and narrow-minded framework, I am somewhat relieved that something as revealing as this occurred.

June 9, 2009 at 11:10 AM

Blogger Leah Sandals said...

Thanks again Marissa...

Maybe you could elaborate for me how this is more unethical in your view than, say, the general kind of "like curating like" patterning that I described in the article.

I certainly disagree with anyone telling anyone else they're not a "good enough person" in whatever shape that might take.

But... how is this different from the other examples I described? That's what I'm wondering.

Would one be able to take this to a human rights commission, for example? Or is it simply breach of contract as well as a really bad move image wise?

June 9, 2009 at 8:27 PM

Anonymous L.M. said...

Marissa made some excellent points that didn't occur to me. So, for your puposes, the institution's non-disclosure of a requirement that exhibiting artists cannot hold opinions critical to Israel would be a breach of ethics.

I know one artist who pulled his work out of Kofflers Wrecking Ball fundraiser stating that: "I morally feel I have to declare my stance: that I too have since a long time, questioned Israel's actions in Palestine (in fact, it was through Israel artists' work that critiqued its owngovernment's doings. It was a powerful show presented in Berlin, in 2003) I believe this disclosure automatically nullifies me from participating in the Wrecking Ball project."

June 10, 2009 at 11:05 AM

Anonymous Marissa Neave said...

Well with your examples about a women's gallery and a japanese foundation, I think what I wrote before still applies. The Koffler Centre is not an Israeli organization. They are a Jewish organization. The conflation of the two (Israel/Jewish) is exactly what problematizes the term 'anti-semitic'; that somehow being anti-Israel is also being anti-Jewish. And that is a very, very dangerous conflation indeed.

So based on cultural/racial/gender preferences enacted by organizations (which I don't think is entirely problematic since, in a city like Toronto, there is, I would venture to assume, somewhere for everyone), in the example of the Koffler Centre, Katz -- as a person of Jewish faith -- should be welcomed by the organization if they are interested in her work, which they obviously are. Her views on Israel are completely irrespective of her faith and therefore, irrelevant to Koffler's preferences.

I don't think it's necessarily a human rights issue. That's a philosophical angle I don't think I'm equipped to comment on. An interesting project is in limbo, and that's really unfortunate.

I am also glad that, as you said before, this topic has raised some good conversation about the complexities of this situation.

June 10, 2009 at 1:23 PM

Anonymous Jewish Writer said...

Hi there Leah Sandals,

I posted a comment here a while back and see that you have refused to post it. I guess the views expressed did not conform to your own and your other groupthink so-called artist friends. Another victory for free speech!
After reading your blog I can understand why. Your views are pallid and conformist. You posture in favour of free self-expression but when faced with a tinge of real raw emotion you want it banned and suppressed. You will never be an interesting artist or even an interesting critic because you seem to think that art should be the product of some bland tame consensus, no more meaningful than interior design.
I have news for you. Great art is not "nice." No great artist had no enemies. Think about that as you chat away in nice agreement about everything with your nice friends (like how evil big bad Israel is, while in Iran they stone women like you to death every day.) It's people like you that suck the life and vigour out of the arts and the reason Toronto will always be a cultural backwater.
While real artists struggle to be heard you promote only those that agree with your narrow-minded soft-left Ontario views, the same ones your profs taught. What a precious little tea party for prim little girls this scene is!

Viva true free speech!

Jewish Writer

August 22, 2010 at 11:35 PM

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