Israel’s museum directors are calling onICOM (International Council of Museums, the world’s leading body representing museums) to condemn the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that claimed 1,400 Israeli lives, including more than 1,000 civilians. The call for ICOM to take a stand against the terrorists was in an open letter signed by more than 20 Israeli museum directors. These include ICOM Israel President Raz Samira, Israel Museum Director Suzanne Landau, Tel Aviv Museum of Art Director Tania Coen-Uzzielli, Tel Aviv Muza-Erez Israel Museum Director Ami Katz, Haifa Museums Director Yotam Yakir, and many others. To date, ICOM has not commented on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas despite the fact that more than two weeks have passed since the conflict began.
“Two weeks have passed since the start of the horrific attack on Israel, which has left a frightening toll of more than 1,400 dead, 3,500 wounded and some 200 abducted”: so begins the letter from Israeli museum directors. “Hamas militants crossed the border and brutally attacked communities just inside Israel, resulting in the deaths of women, the elderly, children and young families. Every day thousands of rockets fall on Israeli cities, hitting Christians, Muslims and Jews equally. France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States are among the more than 40 nations that have categorically denounced Hamas and classified its strategies as terrorist. We appreciate their firm denunciation of such acts of terrorism and their persistent support. Their unwavering statements are supported by acts that demonstrate a change in the way the world views the circumstance, recognizing the dramatic turn of events that has occurred since last week.”
“While we are aware of the criticism directed at Israel,” the directors continue, “it is crucial to stress that the horrific attacks carried out by Iranian-backed Hamas are without excuse, and we vehemently oppose any attempt to justify them. The activities of Hamas are nothing but atrocious murders, rapes, tortures and detentions of defenseless civilians. We demand that ICOM condemn these acts of terrorism with the utmost fervor. To be clear: this is not another episode in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have proven to be brutal and inhumane organizations, similar to the Taliban and the Islamic State. We also want to remind the ICOM community that Israel is a liberal democracy that protects freedom of expression, diversity and the arts, values that the ICOM community shares, as evidenced by the most recent revisions of the museum definition. These very ideals are being attacked by Hamas in its assault on our cities and communities.”
“Since the attack,” the Israeli directors recall, “museum employees nationwide have acted in accordance with ICOM standards to safeguard the priceless artifacts, ethnological specimens and archaeology under their care. Staff engaged in the work face risks because of these efforts. In these difficult times, Israel’s museums also serve society by strengthening people’s spirits and providing space for contemplation. Their work is far from complete, and we hope that the ICOM community will continue to support us in upholding these important principles.”
“We sincerely call on the ICOM community,” the appeal concludes, “to condemn the massacre of defenseless citizens by Hamas and to declare a courageous stand in support of humanity and liberalism.”
Pictured: the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Photo: Avishai Teicher
Israel, museum directors call on ICOM to condemn Hamas |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.