Moroccan campaign calls for boycott of Essaouira Festival due to Israelis participation

RABAT, Oct. 04 (YPA) – The Moroccan Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (MACBI) has called on artists and participants in the third edition of the “Esther and Selma Encounters” festival to withdraw from its events, demanding the cancellation of the festival scheduled to take place in the city of Essaouira between October 8 and 11, in protest against the participation of Israelis in its program.

 

In a statement, the campaign said that the festival, organized by the “Esther and Selma” Association in partnership with the “Essaouira-Mogador” Association, includes what it described as “normalization components,” based on the participation of Israeli figures in a number of its sessions. This year, it is being held under the theme “Crossing” and includes film, theater, music, and art performances, in addition to discussions addressing issues of exile, memory, and identity.

 

The campaign also objected to honoring the late Israeli actress and director Ronit Elkabes as the symbolic figure of the festival, pointing out that her brother, the Israeli director Shlomi Elkabetz, was hosted at the first edition in 2024 and several of his films were screened.

 

MACBI emphasized that its objection does not target Moroccan Jewish heritage, which it considers part of Morocco’s history and cultural fabric, but rather rejects the use of this heritage in activities it believes lead to normalization. It called on participating artists, partners, and associations to withdraw and demanded that the organizers cancel the festival or remove its normalization components.