Succumbing to pressure by boycotters, Bristol’s Arnolfini Gallery has said it is “truly sorry”  for cancelling a concert by Lowkey. UKLFI have pointed out that its statement is inaccurate, political and outside its charitable objects.

The Arnolfini justifies its apology by saying “The International Court of Justice has described Israel’s actions in Gaza as plausible acts of genocide”.  However, 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:

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has written to Gary Topp, Executive Director of the Arnolfini Gallery, and pointed out that the Arnolfini demonises Israel by stating these untrue words. They are lies which are likely to incite violence against Jews around the world.  UKLFI has told the Arnolfini that it needs to take action immediately to correct this dangerous untruth.

UKLFI also pointed out that the two events the Arnolfini cancelled, including an event featuring Lowkey, were political in nature, and therefore not in line with the Arnolfini’s charitable objects.  Lowkey is a political activist, appearing as a ‘pro-Palestine activist’ on Piers Morgan Uncensored[1] and supporting Jeremy Corbyn[2]. He routinely attacks Israel whenever he appears.

The Arnolfini’s apology states that “the voices of the victims need to be heard” and that it is “sorry that we did not provide a platform for Palestinian voices at such a crucial time.”  But UKLFI ‘s letter said that it is not in the Arnolfini’s charitable objects to be a platform for one-sided Palestinian voices.

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.

UKLFI’s Sam Green commented “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.”

Update:  The executive director of the Arnolfini resigned on 24 May 2024,  reportedly after the backlash from the cancellation of the Palestine Film Festival. 

[1] Piers Morgan vs Pro-Palestinian Rapper Lowkey On Israel-Hamas War, Piers Morgan Uncensored – https://youtu.be/KEUElq-T5TI?feature=shared

[2] Jeremy Corbyn sparks outrage after praising ‘good messages’ of anti-Israel rapper, Daily Express, 30 August 2022 – https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1662084/jeremy-corbyn-news-lowkey-rapper-good-messages-antisemitism-labour-party