Activists branded the Shalom International Festival as a propaganda stunt.
A festival of Israeli culture being held at the Edinburgh Fringe is an “openly political propaganda stunt”, activists say.
Organisers of the inaugural Shalom International Festival say they hope to promote peace and foster cultural ties between Israel and other countries during the event on Wednesday.
The festival's website describes it as "probably the most significant pro-Israel advocacy event of the year in the United Kingdom".
But pro-Palestine campaigners branded the event as state propaganda and said it was “staggering” that it was being supported by the Fringe.
Mick Napier of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) said the festival was “clearly aimed at promoting the interests of the Israeli state.”
This is a scandal and a new departure for the Fringe. The Fringe in the past has never had state sponsored open propaganda stunts
Speaking to CommonSpace, he said: “This is a scandal and a new departure for the Fringe. The Fringe in the past has never had state sponsored open propaganda stunts.
“The Israeli government utilises cultural events soft power, in the standard parlance, but they’ve never come out openly and allowed front groups to organise events within the fringe.
“It’s staggering that the Fringe has allowed this.”
The SPSC is planning a day of protests against the festival, which is being held in Edinburgh’s Central Hall. Campaigners are set to meet outside the city’s student union at 9.45am before moving on to the venue, where they will protest until 8pm in the evening.
In a statement on their Facebook page, the SPSC said: “The so-called International Shalom Festival Gala Concert is nothing more than an explicit attempt to whitewash the crimes of a state, in this case the state of Israel.
“Edinburgh Festival Fringe should not be helping to promote an event that is openly being promoted by its sponsors as state propaganda, propaganda for a state that stands accused by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the United Nations and other bodies of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.”
Nigel Goodrich, the festival’s director, argued that fostering cultural ties could help resolve conflict.
He added: “The expulsion and exclusion for which some pro-Palestinian campaigners call has been the preferred tactic of totalitarian regimes everywhere; it is a tactic which must not be allowed to succeed today.”
A spokesperson for the Edinburgh Fringe said: “Our commitment to freedom of expression means that we support the right of all participants of the Fringe and members of the public to hold and express differing political views.”
