Miri Regev, Israeli Minister of Culture, aims to allocate state funds to cultural institutions which will perform in illegal Israeli settlements, Haaretz revealed yesterday.

Haaretz further reported that Regev’s ministry had sent questionnaires to directors of theaters, orchestras and dance companies asking them to state whether they would agree to perform in Negev, Galilee or illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Regev aims to allocate much more funds to cultural centers which did perform in the settlements. She intends to undermine Arab and leftist institutions because they do not recognize illegal settlements. She added that she would not allow boycotts by cultural organizations.

Culture minister warns of funding cuts for acts that shun settlements https://t.co/fn3BLZy40p

— batshuaj (@TOIIsraelInside) June 15, 2016

Haaretz said: “Regev’s move is an infringement on the central democratic concept of freedom of expression and of opinion”.

It added, “It is also an attempt to impose a political stance on cultural institutions and prevent them from expressing a position that is shared by a large portion of the Israeli public – namely, that the settlements are not a legal and legitimate part of the state.”

(MEMO, PC)