Bigoted architects try to ban Israeli exhibition

A major architectural exhibition in Venice is taking place now, and the usual "progressive" gang of genteel anti-semites and self-hating Jews are trying to get Israel banned.

Why?

Because Israel's exhibition is centered around memorials, both for the Holocaust and for those fallen in wars.

There is a growing international and Palestinian campaign for the organisers of the 10th International Architecture Biennale in Venice to cancel the exhibition in the Israeli pavilion. The Israeli exhibition is entitled "Life Saver: Typology of Commemoration in Israel."

Fifty countries are participating in the Biennale, which runs from September 10 to November 19 and is one of the most important events on the international architectural calendar. Egypt is the only Arab country taking part in the Biennale, whose title is "Cities, architecture and society".

The exhibits in the Israeli pavilion comprise plans, models and full architectural details of 15 memorials built between 1947 and 2006, some commemorating dead soldiers or intelligence officers, others the Holocaust. The Israeli Defence Ministry is at the top of the list of the organisations who gave "generous support" for the exhibition.

The international pressure group Architects and Planners for Justice in Palestine (APJP) has sent a petition to the organisers of the Biennale saying it is "dismayed and concerned" that the Biennale agreed to host the Israeli contribution.

APJP requests the Biennale Committee to consider withdrawing the Israeli entry as being "provocative and counterproductive to the aims of the Biennale, and particularly distasteful in the context of the aftermath of an ugly and unnecessary war in neighbouring Lebanon, and a continuing one-side war in Gaza."

At the same time four Palestinian organisations have sent a joint letter to the organisers asking for the Israeli exhibition to be cancelled. The Palestinian organisations are the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI); the Palestinian Engineers Association - Jerusalem Center; the Society of Palestinian Architects; and RIWAQ - the Centre for Architectural Conservation.

The four Palestinian organisations say: "It is inconceivable how the Venice Biennale, an international celebration of art and architecture, of civilization and the progress of humanity, can provide a venue for such a blatant justification for and commemoration of genocide, war and bloodshed."

As usual, the hypocrisy is stunning and not mentioned. Palestinian Arabs routinely dedicate public areas, streets, schools and stadiums to the most depraved terrorists on the planet, and for them to say that Israeli war memorials are "commemorations of genocide" is the height of obscenity.

Haaretz adds:

Israeli architect Tula Amir, who curated the project, writes: "Justification of Israel's wars provides legitimization of the blood that has been spilled and is liable to be spilled in the future."

Jewish-British architect Abe Hayeem, who is behind the petition, uses Amir's words to explain why the exhibit should be withdrawn: It essentially justifies Israel's wars instead of criticizing them, he said. Amir, however, said the issue was addressed in the description accompanying the exhibit.

The Israeli architect is tacitly in the detractor camp, which makes her a curious person to curate, and yet her objections seem to be what empowered the more extreme leftist crowd to complain.

Of course, in the glare of the controversy, no one bothers to actually look at what Israel is actually showing at their pavillion.

The actual exhibits include Holocaust memorials, memorials for soldiers fallen in the War of Independence, and of soldiers fallen in the battle for Jerusalem. None of these memorials have anything to do with any war against Palestinian Arabs.

In this context, the true goals of the critics are clear: that Israel has no right to exist, nor to defend itself - even in its War of Independence. That Israel alone among nations is not allowed to have war memorials. That the Holocaust is simply justification for Israeli "crimes."

It is yet another case of Jew-hatred disguising itself as humanitarianism, and it is hypocrisy at its most disgusting.