Andre Rieu, the Dutch program maker and concert violist, will perform in Tel Aviv from 3 to 7 April. Palestinian cultural organizations have asked Rieu in an open letter not to perform in Tel Aviv, because Israel is violating the rights of Palestinians and implements a brutal military occupation. Just as artists refused to perform in Sun City during apartheid in South Africa in protest against the oppression and the lack of equal rights, today Palestinian artists ask their brothers and sisters not to play in Tel Aviv.

In January of this year, more than a hundred artists supported the New Zealand singer Lorde in her decision to abandon her performance in Tel Aviv due to the occupation. Famous artists preceeded her including Elvis Costello and Alice Walker and many other artist support a cultural boycott, including Ramsy Nasr and the Belgian writer Kristien Hemmerechts. Today, in support of their Palestinian colleagues, Dutch artists join forces and endorse the letter from their Palestinian colleagues to Andre Rieu.

Like to join us? Write to info@article1collective.org and mention your name and profession.

The Dutch signatories are:

Janneke Stegeman, theologist, spokesperson 

Merlijn Twaalfhoven, composer, spokesperson 

Marlene Dumas, artist

Denise Jannah, singer

Fanfare van de Eerste Liefdesnacht, orchestra

Onno Swigchem, saxophonist

Sivan Eyal, filmmaker, teacher

Moniek Driesse, designer

Annelies de Vet, designer

Clemens Hoffman, composer, pianist

Luuk Zagt, concert organisator

Rudy Luyters, artist

Maarten Jan Hijmans, writer

Anne de Jong, lecturer University of Amsterdam

A.M. Krediet, artist

Anneke de Vries, artist

Dante Boon, composer, pianist

Henk van Driel, drummer, artist

Jacqueline van der Venne, artist

Jacqueline van Swelm, artist

Jan Nederlof, artist

Julia Huizinga, artist

Leo van der Kleij, photographer

Rudi Musters, poet

Astrid Bloemkolk, artist

Lotte Kanters, theaterproducer

Elisabeth Coltof, theaterproducer

Muriel Besemer, theaterproducer, teacher

Désanne Brederode, author

Malkit Shoshan, architect

Manu van Kersbergen, spoken word

Jouke Sulejmani-Trompeter, poet

Lien Willems, pastor

Dave PLU, singer, poet

Lisa Stoks, pedagogue, artists

Rosita Steenbeek, author