NIGEL Goodrich’s claim that the International Shalom Festival, of which he is the principal organiser, is merely “a cultural not a political event” (“Playing politics with performances prevents peace from growing roots”, Agenda, The Herald, August 13, simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. On the festival website the event is described as “probably the most significant pro-Israel event of the year in the United Kingdom”, on its Justgiving.com page it is revealed that the “Shalom Festival is being organised by COFIS (Confederation of Friends of Israel Scotland), an affiliated member of StandWithUs UK” and its team members include the European Coalition for Israel and the Israel-Britain Alliance.

None of the above named organisations is designated as “cultural”. The fact these organisations are heavily involved in right-wing Israel advocacy is a matter of public record. For instance, the organisation StandWithUs UK is an affiliate of StandWithUs Israel – an organisation which, in 2015, was revealed to have been allocated a substantial amount of Israeli public funds, totalling more than £189,000) as part of an agreement to disseminate propaganda on behalf of the Israeli government as part of an agreement made with the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. This direct partnership with an Israeli government-linked organisation goes some way to explain why Israeli officials from the embassy in London were all over the Shalom Festival. Whilst it may be true that the Shalom Festival did not take any direct funding from the Israeli government, the fact remains that the main partner in the festival is a right-wing advocacy organisation that most certainly does receive Israeli government funding.

I found it hypocritical for Nigel Goodrich, a man who has travelled across Scotland opening multiple friends of Israel groups with the aim of shutting out Palestinian voices, writes that we must “open doors to other viewpoints and create space for understanding”. Where were the Palestinian voices at his Shalom Festival? Why was the festival billed solely as a promotion of Israeli culture and society? What role can highly charged Israel advocacy and anti-Palestinian propaganda have in cultural and artistic exchange?

This festival’s stated aims and objectives, claiming to promote “peaceful co-existence”, also fail to stand up to scrutiny. Any genuine effort to promote justice, human rights, equality and conflict transformation should be welcomed. Unfortunately for Mr Goodrich, the Shalom Festival has been outed for what it is; an effort to silence criticism of Israel through the use of nice-sounding concepts such as “peace” and “cultural bridges” that hold no meaning while Palestinians are still under military occupation and having their rights violated each and every day.

I think it’s also safe to say that Mr Goodrich’s closing paragraph, starting with “our festival has no connection with the State of Israel” is nonsense. How can he write this when the ties to the State of Israel, Israeli government officials and Israel advocacy organisations are so painfully obvious?

Gary Spedding,

4 Clifford Gardens, North Shields, Tyne and Wear.