Arnolfini’s apology criticised for containing ‘dangerous untruths’

An association of lawyers who support Israel has criticised the Arnolfini’s apology for cancelling two Bristol Palestine Film Festival events.

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) say that the art gallery’s apology “demonises Israel” by using “untrue words”, with these “lies… likely to incite violence against Jews around the world”.

UKLFI’s principal complaint is that the Arnolfini’s apology stated that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has described Israel’s actions in Gaza “as plausible acts of genocide”.

But the UKLFI say that “this is incorrect, as has been clarified by Joan Donoghue, then president of the ICJ who told Stephen Sackur on BBC’s Hard Talk that there was no plausible case of genocide on the part of Israel”.

A UN rights expert has accused Israel of acts of genocide and South Africa has alleged Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians following Hamas’ October 7 attack; but on Monday, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said he does “not believe what is happening in Gaza is a genocide”.

UKLFI also pointed out that the two events the Arnolfini cancelled in November 2023 “were political in nature”, which was the Arnolfini’s original reason for cancelling them before their subsequent apology five months’ later.

In a letter from UKLFI to Arnolfini executive director, Gary Topp, they said that “it is not in the Arnolfini’s charitable objects (sic) to be a platform for one-sided Palestinian voices”.

The UKLFI letter added: “Further, the Arnolfini is now choosing to channel a single pro-Palestinian message when there is a diversity of Palestinian views.

“It does not demonstrate any attempt to ensure other Palestinian viewpoints are heard.

“Although the Arnolfini states that the voices of victims need to be heard, they fail to recognise the need for the victims of 7 October to be heard.

“They give no voice to the survivors and relatives of those who did not survive or who remain in captivity as hostages in Gaza.”

A candlelit vigil was held on College Green in October – photo: Rob Browne

UKLFI director, Sam Green, added: “The Arnolfini’s so called apology is an abrogation of its duty to remain non-political.

“It favours a certain view, a certain sector, giving in to the clamour of a highly organised political movement and only listening to certain voices.

“The Arnolfini’s apology embeds itself in one viewpoint and fails to recognise the rights of Jewish people in Bristol and beyond, the vast majority of whom will support the right of Israel to exist and to defend itself.”

Pro-Palestine protesters occupied the Arnolfini following the gallery’s decision to cancel two Palestine Film Festival screenings – photo: Rob Browne

In November, the Arnolfini announced it would no longer host two Palestine-themed film events citing concerns they would be “construed as political activity”, saying that they made the “challenging” and “difficult” decision as they put a strain on the legal requirement for arts charities to remain apolitical.

Following this decision, protesters staged sit-ins at the Arnolfini on several occasions and the gallery was forced to close during one weekend to prevent further disruption.

More than 1000 artists then signed an open letter in which they said they were “reluctantly” refusing to cooperate with the art gallery and would not be participating in any of its future events.

The letter said that the “decision by a publicly funded venue to censor Palestinian film and poetry events is a particularly concerning part of an alarming pattern of censorship and repression within the arts sector”.

In January, the Arnolfini apologised “without reservation” for “recent programming decisions” but did not specifically refer to its decisions to cancel a screening of Palestinian film Farha and a spoken word evening with British activist and rapper Lowkey.

As mediation continued to take place, the Arnolfini’s trustees and senior leadership team apologised again in May “without reservation” and said that they “deeply regret the distress caused”, saying that their original decision was “based on the information and understanding we had at the time, but now believe it was wrong”.

Bristol24/7 has contacted the Arnolfini for comment following the UKLFI’s criticism.

A vigil remembering Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas took place in Castle Park – photo: Martin Booth

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read next:

• Gallery makes ‘difficult’ decision to cancel Palestine-themed arts events
• Protesters stage sit-in after Arnolfini cancels Palestine Film Festival events
• Arnolfini closes over weekend to prevent further protests
• More than 1000 artists stop working with Arnolfini following Palestinian ‘censorship’
• Arnolfini ‘in positive talks’ following backlash to film festival cancellations
• Arnolfini apologises after cancelling Palestinian film events
• Arnolfini ‘deeply regrets distress caused’ for cancelling film events