National Demonstration for Gaza Saturday 9th August

From Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Brent residents attending the demo are welcome to meet up with others at Kilburn Jubilee Line station (southbound platform) at 11.30 am on Saturday.

National Demonstration for Gaza Saturday 9 August. Assemble 12 noon outside BBC, Portland Place (tubes: Great Portland Street/Oxford Circus) marching to rally at Hyde Park via US Embassy

Please ask all your family and friends to join the demonstration on Saturday. Be a part of it! At the time of writing (Tuesday) over 1,814 Palestinians have been killed and 9,536 injured.  UN OCHA says "Children continue to bear the brunt of the crisis". The number of children killed stands at 408 with at least 2,877 children injured.

An Israeli missile attack on Sunday against an UNWRA school has been condemned by the UN  as 'criminal act.' Yesterday (Monday), Israel broke its own ceasefire, killing an eight year old Palestinian girl and flattening her family home. The Israelis then launched an attack on another home> Whole neighbourhoods have been flattened, and almost half of the Strip was already a 'no go zone', before the bombardment of Rafah. Palestinians are struggling to dig out the bodies of the dead, hospitals struggling to cope with the bloodshed and death, and shelters struggling to cope with the hundreds of thousands attempting to seek refuge. Ambulances, hospitals and UN schools sheltering refugees have all been targeted by Israeli bombs. International outrage has escalated, with thousands blocking the streets outside the Israeli Embassy in London over the weekend, and protests taking place across Britain. But even now, the BBC is determined to 'defend Israel'>  We need to increase the pressure even further - and ensure that our voices are heard. Please ensure that nobody can say that they didn't know about the demonstration this coming Saturday - forward this email on to family and friends, and bring them along. Tell Cameron - NOT IN MY NAME! STOP ARMING ISRAEL! STOP THE MASSACRE! Take action - sign our letter to the Prime Minister>  Join us on Saturday - and spread the word! Click here for the facebook event page.

Brent's Super Scrutiny found wanting

Last night's first meeting of the 'Super' Scrutiny Committee of Brent Council, which replaces several specialist scrutiny committees, revealed the weakness of the new system.

Firstly, committee members seemed unclear of their remit and their powers, with only Cllr Mary Daly appearing well-briefed and prepared to ask awkward questions.

Perhaps because of time constraints in the over-crowded agenda, the chair, Aslam Choudry, limited questions from members of the committee, although he did allow the public to speak. On the Garden Tax he was reduced to asking Cllr Keith Perrin, lead member for the environment, and the officer, if they truly believed the waste collection changes were a good thing. Of course they did!

The outcome of the Central Middlesex A&E closure, local health reforms and the Garden tax discussions were anodyne proposals about monitoring and returning to the committee later,

Cllr Janice Long, a former member of the Executive, and one of those calling in the Garden Tax tweeted:

 Signed the call-in on Garden waste, sat through mtg but not allowed to ask questions. Had to email officers. Appalling lack of scrutiny.

The public gallery was crowded for the meeting and the general consensus was that the Committee would have to do a lot better in the future if the Cabinet is to be held to account.

Support for Tricycle Theatre amidst media storm

The decision of the Tricycle Theatre not to accept funding for the UK Jewish Film Festival from the Israeli Embassy or any organisation involved in the current conflict, has created great controversy in the local, national and international media.

Brent Council, who part fund the Tricycle put the following statement on its website yesterday:

In response to media reports regarding the Tricycle Theatre, the council has issued the following statement to clarify its position:

A Brent Council spokesperson, said: "The Council funds the Tricycle Theatre for core activities. This does not encompass decision making regarding the Theatre's creative output. Decisions made by the Theatre regarding additional special programmes and festivals are not a matter for the local authority."

Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign have asked local residents ansd activists to sign the following letter for the local press:

We, the undersigned, activists and local residents, support the decision of the Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn not to accept funding for the UK Jewish Film Festival (UKJFF) from the Israeli Embassy due to the ongoing war in Gaza. The theatre has hosted this film festival for the past eight years, and has a broad and inclusive repertoire that reflects its location in one of the most multi-ethnic and religiously pluralist parts of the country. Brent is also one of the most tolerant and diverse with a rich cultural heritage made up of people from various backgrounds. 

The theatre has decided not to “accept funding from any party to the current conflict” and has offered to provide funding with "money from our own resources". We hope that the chair of the festival will retract his decision to withdraw so that the UKJFF can go ahead at this venue, which remains at the cutting edge of artistic production in the UK, tackles a wide variety of issues and embraces many cultures and communities. The decision cannot be construed as anti-Semitic, anti-Jewish or political, but a cultural boycott of a party that currently stands accused of war crimes by the UN and potential genocide by other agencies. It is a humanitarian gesture that should be applauded and emulated elsewhere.

If you wish to sign the letter email: brent2harrowpsc@outlook.com

Tricycle Theatre explains why they are not hosting the UK Jewish Film Festival

Controversy has broken out over the Tricycle Theatres's decision not to run the UK Jewish Film Festival while it is funded by any parties in the present conflict in Gaza.

Here is the statement issued on the Theatre's website:

‘We have been contacted by several patrons who have been given misleading information about the Tricycle and the UK Jewish Film Festival. We would like to set down an accurate account.

The Tricycle has always welcomed the Festival and wants it to go ahead. We have proudly hosted the UK Jewish Film Festival for many years. However, given the situation in Israel and Gaza, we do not believe that the festival should accept funding from any party to the current conflict.  For that reason, we asked the UK Jewish Film Festival to reconsider its sponsorship by the Israeli Embassy.  We also offered to replace that funding with money from our own resources. The Tricycle serves many communities and celebrates different cultures and through difficult, emotional times must aim for a place of political neutrality. 

We regret that, following discussions, the chair of the UKJFF told us that he wished to withdraw the festival from the Tricycle.  

To be clear, at this moment, the Tricycle would not accept sponsorship from any government agency involved in the conflict. We hope to find a way to work with the UK Jewish Film Festival to allow the festival to go ahead at the Tricycle as it has done so successfully for the past 8 years.’  Indhu Rubasingham

A comment from Nicholas Hytner:  ’I greatly regret the UKJFF’s decision to leave the Tricycle cinema. Indhu Rubasingham and the Tricycle board could not have made clearer their commitment to Jewish culture or their desire to host a festival that would have included films from all over the world, including Israel. It is entirely understandable that they felt obliged to insist that no government agency should sponsor the festival. The Tricycle serves a diverse community with a notably diverse repertoire and it has a clear responsibility to make no statement about the dispute that is behind the current conflict.

It greatly saddens me that the UKJFF have unwisely politicised a celebration of Jewish culture and I deplore any misrepresentation of the Tricycle’s position. I support Indhu Rubasingham and the Tricycle without reservation.’ 

A comment from Dominic Cooke: ‘The Tricycle is a venue with a history of celebrating plural cultures and viewpoints. A central strand of this work is the platform it has given to Jewish artists, a recent example of which was Indhu Rubasingham’s delightful production of Paper Dolls, which was set in Israel. The UK Jewish Film Festival is similarly plural in spirit, giving voice to a diverse range of Jewish talents and viewpoints.

As two organisations celebrating diversity, they seem to me to be a perfect match, which is why the UKJFF’s decision to withdraw from the Tricycle is so very sad.
By taking funding from the Israeli government, the UKJFF are coercing the artists, supporters and the venue involved in the festival into a public association with the actions of a government they may not agree with. This runs counter to the values of pluralism which are central to the Tricycle’s identity. That is why I fully support the Tricycle in their effort to encourage the UKJFF to accept their offer of alternative funding and hugely regret the Festival’s decision to force the theatre’s hand by withdrawing.’

A comment from Philip Himberg, Artistic Director, Sundance Theatre Program: ‘I am the Artistic Director of a major American theatre company, and the author of Paper Dolls, a play set in Israel, which looks at the warm and loving relationship between an Israeli citizen and his caretaker. The play’s world premiere was exquisitely produced by the Tricycle Theatre in its world premiere in 2013, and sensitively directed by Indhu Rubasingham. I believe, without a doubt, that as regards the current crisis in the Middle East, the Tricycle must remain neutral by refusing sponsorship from any government directly involved in the conflict. As a great lover of Jewish theatrical culture, (I will soon be supporting the development of a new Yiddish language opera), there was a clear way for the UKJFF’s celebration of diverse Jewish culture to go forward at the Tricycle – but at this particular moment in time, utilizing funds from any of the governments in power in the region would be taking an unfair political stand.’

A comment from David Lan: ‘What matters is not what is happening in Kilburn but what has been happening in Gaza and in Israel. Violence will only produce more violence – theatre has been saying this for 3000 years. The Tricycle have acted morally and with sensitivity. I support Indhu and the Board and hope that all theatre people throughout the world will do the same.’

A comment from Christopher Haydon: ‘It is wrong to describe the Tricycle’s decision as anti-Semitic – their commitment to Jewish people and culture is clear. Any arts organisation has the right to make decisions about who they will or will not accept money from – whether directly or indirectly. Personally, I feel very ambivalent about the whole notion of cultural boycotts – particularly around such a painfully complex issue as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But regardless, the Tricycle in no way tried to boycott the festival. A difference of principle around funding arose between them and the UKJFF. The Tricycle offered an entirely sensible alternative in good faith and have demonstrated a clear commitment to trying to make it happen. They have behaved reasonably and fairly and attempts by some to misrepresent their actions only serves to poison a vital debate. Indhu and her team have my full support.’

A comment from Sean Holmes: ‘Having directed many productions at the Tricycle I am writing to strongly support the Board’s decision regarding the UKJFF. It is important that the Tricycle remains politically neutral. It is a bastion of openness and tolerance and I regret the UKJFF’s decision to politicise the legitimate concerns of the Tricycle and refuse their offer of an eminently sensible compromise.’

A comment from Richard Eyre: ‘I wholeheartedly support the position of Indhu Rubasingham and the Tricycle Theatre and deplore any attempt to misrepresent that position.’

A comment from Dominic Hill: ‘The Tricycle is without doubt one of the most inclusive, multi-cultural, diverse and open-minded arts organisations in the UK. It must be, and be seen to be, politically neutral. I wholeheartedly support Indhu’s position.’

A comment from Dawn Walton: ‘The Tricycle is a space that has always delivered and supported work from a truly diverse community of artists. I support Indhu and the Board of the Tricycle Theatre for a position which seeks to maintain The Tricycle as a place of political neutrality. I support their sensitive approach in a challenging situation.’

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