Dear Enrico Rava ; Francesco Diodati; Gabriele Evangelista; Enrico Morello; Clarinet Factory ; Dorantes ; Renaud Garcia-Fons ; Joey Alexander ; Rachelle Garniez,

We are citizens of Israel who oppose our government’s continuing
displacement of the Palestinian people via military occupation and
apartheid policies [1]. We write to you in order to make sure that you are
aware of all the moral implications of performing in Israel at this time.
We ask that you postpone your concerts, to the time when Israel ends its
military occupation and apartheid policies.
It is impossible not to address the venue of the festival and its history.
Between the year of 1947-1948 Israeli militias committed ethnic cleansing
of the indigenous Palestinian population of Palestine. Over 500 villages
were destroyed, massacres of thousands resulting in the fleeing of half the
population in fear for their lives [2]. We refuse to forget that Eilat
stands on what was once a Palestinian village called Umm Rashrash [3], and
the whole area was renamed after the military operation of ethnic
cleansing, barefacedly named “Uvda”, which is Hebrew for “Fact”, as in
“creating facts on the ground”. Israel’s Tourism Ministry, one of the
initiators of the Red Sea Jazz Festival, you're about to take part in, has
no qualms about using this name [4].

The Eilat Red Sea Jazz Festival is in no way separate from the government
and its policies. It is “initiated by Eilat city hall aid by Ministry of
Culture, Ministry of Tourism, Eilat Sea Port, Eilat Hotel Association and
various business sponsors” [5]. The reality of Israel at present is that
all government ministries are in one way or another involved in the
oppression of the indigenous Palestinian population, fundamentally
utilizing civilian aspects of the government and civil society to uphold,
sustain and perpetuate the military occupation. Particularly relevant for
you is the fact that Israel's government openly uses cultural events in
order to divert attention from its war crimes [6]:

"We see culture as a Hasbara [public relations] tool of the first rank, and
I do not differentiate between Hasbara and culture" ~ Nissim Ben-Sheetrit,
former deputy director general of the Israel Foreign Ministry

The Israeli Ministry of Tourism advertises and facilitates tourism in
occupied Palestinian territories [7], and facilitates tours for artists
such as you, as part of generating photo-ops : "video and stills footage of
the singer and her entourage, both during the concerts and visits to
tourist sites in Israel, to be used in international marketing campaigns."
[8]
 
The Ministry of Culture supports the settlement construction in the West
Bank, and actively silences protestation of this war crime [9].

Governmental forces are joined by corporate forces if we examine Eilat Sea
Port (Eilat Port Company Ltd.), One of its owners being and Israel’s
government via the Israel Ports Development & Assets Company Ltd. [10] The
same Israeli government has besieged Gaza port, closing down not only any
means of trade, but also one of the main venues of livelihood.

Due to all this, in past years, other jazz musicians have also cancelled
their participation in the Red Sea Jazz Festival, including Eddie Palmieri,
Jason Morana, Portico Quartet, Tuba Skinny, Andreas Öber and Stanley
Jordan. Since Jazz festivals have become one of Israel's most commonly used
forms of public relations, many jazz, blues and soul musicians have
cancelled their performances at similar state-initiated Jazz festivals,.
Others have expressed regret after after learning of the political
situation here. Some names which come to mind are Gil Scott-Heron,
Cassandra Wilson and Meshell Ndegeocello. [11]

An international campaign has also been launched, based on our statement
several years ago, and has gained the support of 16,000 people from all
around the world, and continues to grow to this day. [12] And another
campaign, launched by BDS Italia, adressing Enrico RAva and his quartet
specifically, is also rapidly growing. [13]

The Red Sea Jazz Festival could have been a festival to celebrate the free
spirit of Jazz music, and this beautiful tradition of oppressed minorities.
Instead, it uses music as a tool for whitewashing military occupation,
apartheid and oppression of the Palestinian people. In view of all this, we
are asking you: Please cancel your participation in the festival. Boycott
Apartheid.!
We will gladly address any questions or comments you may have.

Sincerely,
Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within
http://www.boycottisrael.info/

[1] http://www.boycottisrael.info/
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Palestinian_exodus
[3] http://ww4report.com/node/5991
[4]
http://goisrael.com/tourism_eng/tourist%20information/discover%20israel/...
[5] http://www.redseajazzeilat.com/en/about/
[6]
http://www.haaretz.com/misc/article-print-page/about-face-1.170267?trail...
http://pulsemedia.org/2010/08/23/we’ll-take-over-the-world-ministry-of...
[7]
http://mondoweiss.net/2012/11/israeli-ministry-of-tourism-map-annexes-ov...
[8]
http://pulsemedia.org/2012/12/12/israel-2012-the-question-of-a-nation-wh...
[9]
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Culture-Minister-Livnat-slams-artists-for-Ar...
[10]
http://eng.israports.co.il/IsraelPortsCompany/aboutcompany/israports/Pag...
[11] Eddie Palmieri, Jason Morana, Tuba Skiny
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4109716,00.html
Portico Quartet http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4317601,00.html
Andreas Öber
http://refrainplayingisrael.blogspot.co.il/2012/12/andreas-oberg-respect...
Stanley Jordan
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/alexander-billet/thanks-stanley-jord...
Gil Scott-Heron
http://www.counterfire.org/index.php/news/1-latest-news/4764-gill-scott-...
Cassandra Wilson
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/cassandra-wilson-cancels-holon...
Meshell Ndegeocello
https://twitter.com/OfficialMeshell/status/342311007412183040 ;
https://twitter.com/OfficialMeshell/status/342447140938842112 ;
https://twitter.com/OfficialMeshell/status/347759388070645760
[12]
https://www.causes.com/actions/1757955-dont-let-the-red-sea-jazz-festiva...
[13] http://bdsitalia.org/index.php/english-menu/1665-rava-eng