The Palestinian Circus School calls on Cirque du Soleil not to come and perform in Israel in August 2012.

The Palestinian Circus school send the following letter to the General Management of Cirque du Soleil on June 13, 2012

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We do not take lightly calling for Cirque du Soleil, or any circus for that matter, to not perform in Israel, especially since we ourselves are totally committed to the art of circus and are committed to bringing the circus everywhere we can. However, for circus to be faithful to its art form, we are also unrelentingly committed to human rights. Thus, we write to request that Cirque du Soleil reconsider its planned performance in Israel, a military occupying power and violator of international law and human rights, and join other artists from around the world who have called on you to support human rights and the right of all people to be free from military occupation.

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Inspired by social circus successes around the world, a type of circus made known by Cirque du Soleil, we had a dream of spreading circus arts in Palestine and establishing a community circus school for Palestinian children and youth living within the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories.?

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Our kids and youth are oppressed by a prolonged military occupation and deprived of their most?basic rights. Many are still recovering from Israel?s onslaught on the Gaza Strip, known as Operation Cast Lead in the winter of 2008-2009, which left 1385 Palestinian dead, of which 318 were minors, and another 5,300 wounded.

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In the Palestinian Circus School, we teach our students to climb tissues and ropes high above borders and beyond their frustration. We give them back a reason for hope and allow them to dream. We need everyone?s help to maintain hope in these young hearts.

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Your visit to Israel will be fully facilitated by the Israeli authorities, at the time when our movement as students and artists of the Palestinian Circus School is permanently crippled by military law that denies us entry to Jerusalem, Jaffa, Akka, Haifa or Nazareth, not to mention the completely closed Gaza Strip.

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Those same Israeli authorities prohibit, by the use of force, our ability to participate in artistic performances or any exchange with our Palestinian friends and families in these areas.?

Not only do they limit our freedom of movement, they deport international circus artists who come to perform in Palestine, like the famous Spanish clown Ivan Prado, a prime example that received international attention. More here

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?Mr. Prado was denied entry by Israel in 2010. He was accused of having ties with Palestinian terror groups while his only ?crime? was to prepare a large clown festival in Palestine! Bringing laughter to Palestinians children seems to threaten Israeli security.?All this is simply a focus on us Palestinians living under occupation, and we have not yet mentioned the violations of international law against Palestinian refugees around the world who are prevented from returning to their homes, or the apartheid conditions that Palestinian citizens in Israel live under.

We ask you to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom, equality and justice and to cancel your performance in Israel, until such a time when it abides by international law and respects Palestinian rights. You would be in good company by following the examples of famous artists; Bono, Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello, the Pixies and the Klaxons and Gorillaz Sound System, among others, all who refused to come and perform in Israel until it abides by International Law and ends the illegal occupation of Palestine.

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As stated on Cirque?du?Soleil?s own website, you view circus happening with ?good citizenship [which] consists of an attitude of social responsibility at the very heart of all [y]our business strategies and management.? We simply point to the need for ?good citizens? not to ignore 45 years of military occupation, and not to perform in a country which has been engaging in occupation, colonialism and apartheid. For these crimes to come to an end artists can?t pretend it does not exist.

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Sincerely,

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The Palestinian Circus School?

http://home.palcircus.ps/en/1/3/227/

Posted on 04-07-2012

Source: http://www.pacbi.org/etemplate.php?id=1939

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