In response to calls for meaningful solidarity and cultural boycott issued by Palestinian artists, cultural organisations, and civil society at large, and inspired by the cultural boycott of apartheid South Africa, BDS advocates a cultural boycott of companies and cultural institutions that are complicit in Israel’s regime of military occupation and apartheid.
We focus in particular on the bank BNP Paribas and its various artwashing projects. We choose this focus, as in France, BNP Paribas is one of the main targets of the national BDS campaign. It is the number one European investor in companies actively involved in illegal settlements in Palestine, and the number one European creditor to companies that sell weapons to the Israeli military.
We support the Palestinian liberation struggle, and oppose, through non-cooperation, all attempts by the Israeli state to silence and suppress critique and political activism in France and abroad. The BNP boycott is formulated in line with the guidelines set by the global, Palestinian-led BDS movement, including the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) guidelines, and allows for non-complicit activist, educational and artistic initiatives involving Israeli, Palestinian or international artists.
We take inspiration from and are in solidarity with pre-existing collectives including: The BDZ boycott; Art Workers for Palestine, Scotland; Ravers for Palestine, UK; Art Workers for Palestine Belgium; Art Not Genocide Alliance, Italy; Assemblea ant3ioni3sta dell3 lavorator3 dell’arte e della cultura, Italy; Artists Against Artwashing, Canada; Artists Against Apartheid, France and Artistes pour la Palestine, France
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Through this blog we want to reach out to other movements and people who stand in solidarity. We will post about the art washing of genocide in France to create awareness, as well as specific calls to actions of boycott.