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Israel Needs Cultural Bridges, Not Boycotts
(Guardian-UK) Letter from JK Rowling, Simon Schama and others - In February 2015 the Guardian published a letter from UK artists announcing their intention to culturally boycott Israel. We do not believe cultural boycotts are acceptable or that the letter you published accurately represents opinion in the cultural world in the UK. Therefore we are writing to declare our support for the launch and aims of Culture for Coexistence - an independent UK network seeking to inform and encourage dialogue about Israel and the Palestinians in the wider cultural and creative community. Cultural boycotts singling out Israel are divisive and discriminatory, and will not further peace. Open dialogue and interaction promote greater understanding and mutual acceptance, and it is through such understanding and acceptance that movement can be made towards a resolution of the conflict. Cultural engagement builds bridges, nurtures freedom and positive movement for change. We wholly endorse encouraging such a powerful tool for change rather than boycotting its use.