Artists 4 Israel Hits the Culture War Front

Artists 4 Israel (A4I) is a community of creative individuals working together in an ongoing, collaborative project expressing Israel’s right to exist in peace and security.

Phyllis Chesler on Chronicles:

Pajamas: "Artists4Israel 2 the Rescue"

 - Beautiful Truths vs Ugly Lies … and All That Jazz"

(...) For those who can still remember what it was like when Beat poets first began to read their poems in coffee houses — the rhythm and excitement of it — welcome to the twenty-first-century version. Think poet (as in poetry slam, with its political-ethnic-gay aesthetic, its daring and poignancy); think stand-up comic, graffiti artist, musician, and break dancer; then, cross that energy and expressiveness with the skills of a playwright, a theater director, an actor, a ballroom dancer, a muralist, a painter, a photographer, a fundraiser, a lawyer who produces plays, and you begin to get a sense of what Artists4Israel is like. (...)

Artists4Israel is less than a year old. It has been something of a whirlwind year. The group came together when Operation Cast Lead and the propaganda fallout against Israel began. (...) According to Dershowitz: “Hamas started a culture war. We decided to be pro-active rather than defensive. … Artists 4 Israel is the offense. Rather than countering the misconceptions, lies and hates preached by the terrorist funded Hamas culture war against Israel, A4I utilizes the arts to tell our own stories and create our own narratives highlighting the rights, beauty and strength of Israel.”

Artists4I created pro-Israel posters and stood with them at the United Nations. Then, they stood outside a showing of the Rachel Corrie play and tried to arm theatergoers with some facts since they were about to be entertained by a very gripping series of Big Lies. Very quickly, Artists integrated themselves into the graffiti community, the downtown art gallery world, the world of street performers and political performance artists — and then, all youthful exuberant energy, they began a series of projects which almost defy description.

They developed the Fashion Police project. (...) Let me quote from three of their seven-point mission statement. Their mission is to “unite artists and showcase culturally relevant works which promote a positive image of Israel”; “counter misconceptions that the arts community does not stand behind Israel;” and “utilize the arts to counter misconceptions about Israel in the media and popular culture.”(...) (...) Reach out. Join them. Invite them into your communities. Fund their work. (...) Read it all >>>

I love the Keffiyeh Exchange Program!

For some time now, the Jewish community has been disturbed by the keffiyeh fashion craze. Artists 4 Israel is doing something about it. Modeled on the NYPD’s Cash for Guns program, Artists 4 Israel is offering Free Stuff for Stupid Scarves. In partnership with a number of clothing brands, bars and restaurants, Artists 4 Israel will be giving away gifts to anyone who gives up their keffiyeh at any of our drop-off locations. Along with the free gift, recipients will also be provided a short but important flyer documenting the bloody meaning of the keffiyeh and opening their eyes to the beauty and wonder of Israel.

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