Havurah Team Letter: The Rise of Zionist Blacklists in the Art World
This past November, the Havurah team wrote a joint letter to address the rise in antisemitism within the global art world after the atrocities of October 7th and Israel’s military response. We are heartbroken to reconvene now, over 6 months later, for the same reason once again.
This issue has continued to evolve and grow unruly—from the spread of Jewish and Israeli cultural bans, to the bullying and harassment of Jewish artists—we now again deem it necessary to respond as a collective cultural voice.
As we’ve stated in our past release, we do not wish to put out political statements, even though we understand how this statement may be politicized regardless. We are writing this as a collective of Jewish artists who are exhausted by the consistent antisemitic incidents gone unnoticed within our industries and audiences.
We have witnessed an explosion of antisemitism in various creative worlds. While some of these instances have been recorded and amplified in the media, most of them remain private and untold. We are writing this letter to address a specific antisemitic phenomenon in the art world, which has been trending on platforms like X just last week.
The creation and circulation of "Zionist" lists and their associated social media accounts—like "Zionist Authors," "Zionists in Music," "Zionists in Film," and "Zionists in Publishing"—are alarming manifestations of this trend. Their lists categorize artists not by the content of their work, but by their perceived relationship to Israel alone.
In recent months, these lists have not only spread but have also started to include increasingly granular and often absurd criteria for labeling artists and writers as "Zionists." For example, the author Pierce Brown was added to a blacklist simply because he expressed sorrow over the loss of life on October 7th. The list did not take into account the full spectrum of his views or his body of work, focusing instead on a single, human reaction to one of the worst Jewish tragedies in modern history. This reduction of complex individuals to single-issue entities is not only misleading but is historically dangerous in political discourse.
Moreover, the targeting has extended beyond direct statements about Israel. For instance, bestselling novelist Kristin Hannah was labeled a Zionist based on a single post expressing concern for friends alarmed by antisemitism, without any direct political commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This trend reflects a troubling shift toward a guilt-by-association approach, where individuals are ostracized for the most tangential connections to the state of Israel—such as participating in cultural exchange programs like Birthright or merely engaging with other artists who have expressed pro-Israel sentiments.
These methods recall the dark chapters of history when artists and intellectuals were persecuted for their identities or perceived affiliations. The implicit message of these lists is clear: Israeli artists and those perceived as sympathetic to Israel, regardless of their actual positions, are to be boycotted and excluded. This not only stifles free expression but also alienates and endangers entire communities, reinforcing the very prejudices and hatreds that art should transcend.
The recent bullying and harassment of Israeli artists, like Eden Golan at the Eurovision Song Contest, are additional real-world implications that these lists endorse. Such cultural bans and personal attacks are never politically justified.
As a Jewish artist collective, Havurah wholeheartedly condemns this horrendous trend of antisemitism in the art world, and are urgently calling for the immediate termination of these lists. We are here to foster a space for all Jewish artists, from all political backgrounds. We will continue to provide a platform highlighting Jewish artists from around the world, including Israel, and Jewish artists who may critique the Israeli government. As we’ve explained in our last statement, there is a critical difference between legitimate political discourse, civil protest, and expressions that cross into anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli sentiment.
We stand for the nuances that art embodies and promote the rich diversity within our community. We believe that art should be a realm where complex identities and controversial topics can be explored safely and constructively, not a battlefield for identity-based hostility.
As always, we encourage dialogue and reflection. In a world eager to divide and label, we urge our community members to engage thoughtfully, embrace complexity, and cherish the diverse voices that enrich our collective experience.
If you are a Jewish artist who has been harassed or excluded for your identity, we will always be here for you.