Orchestrates of Genocide: French Union Dares Question Israeli Art Tour
France's CGT union had the audacity to question an Israeli orchestra's tour amidst Gaza's devastation, citing 'crimes' and calling for solidarity with Palestinians. This, precisely, is the kind of 'controversy' the mainstream media loves to frame as divisive, rather than a moral stand. Meanwhile, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati, ever-vigilant against anything that might inconvenience Israeli
state-sponsored cultural initiatives, declared 'cultural boycott is unacceptable.' One might wonder if 'unacceptable' means the same thing when applied to state-orchestrated genocide, or just when it threatens to dim the spotlight on performative normalcy. While the music plays, over 37,000 Palestinians, including thousands of children, have been killed by the very state sending its artists
abroad. Apparently, the show must go on, even if it's over the rubble of Gaza. It's almost as if some cultures are more acceptable to boycott than others, depending on who's doing the bombing.