Published: 27 February 2025
Last updated: 27 February 2025
The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) has written to the Minister for the Arts Tony Burke asking for a review of arts funding to identify publicly-funded artists who are promoting terrorism, extremism or antisemitism.
It wants a requirement that funded art and artists “uphold Australian values of respect and inclusivity”.
Creative Australia CEO Adrian Collette told Senate estimates this week that the organisation would review its selection process for the Venice Biennale, after Khaled Sabsabi’s appointment was cancelled. Many artists have protested Creative Australia’s decision to cancel Sabsabi, which came after a question in parliament about artworks which address the 9/11 attack and appear to glorify Hezbollah leader Hussein Nasrallah.
But ZFA president Jeremy Leibler said a broad independent review of all arts funding, not just the Venice Biennale process, was needed to restore confidence in Australia’s arts funding system and "ensure antisemitism and the promotion of extremism were not allowed to further fester within the arts community”.
The Jewish Independent revealed last week that some artists campaigning to reinstate Sabsabi on the grounds that they oppose political censorship of the arts had called for the boycotting of Israel’s 2024 Venice artist Ruth Patir.
Several artists and creative professionals are using their platforms to attack Jews and Israel. Artists funded by Creative Australia who have supported terrorism and/or antisemitism include:
