Over 10,000 Israeli Cultural Creators Form Coalition to Boost Arts Funding Ahead of Elections

More than 10,000 creators, cultural institutions, and organizations across Israel have united to form the "Culture and Creation Coalition" ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections. The coalition includes major bodies from theater, cinema, television, literature, music, dance, museums, visual arts, and arts education, such as Shacham, AMI, the Directors Guild, the Documentary Forum, the Screenwriters Guild, and others. Their goal is to place culture at the center of the public and political agenda by engaging with party leaders and presenting a comprehensive policy document with demands and recommendations.

The coalition's primary demand is to gradually increase the national culture budget from the current 0.15% of the state budget to 1%. They argue that the existing budget has eroded over the years, undermining the stability of cultural institutions and creators in Israel. The policy paper calls for recognizing culture as a vital national infrastructure and a civil right, legally anchoring the status of artists, ensuring professional and independent management of funding, protecting freedom of expression and creation, investing in original Israeli works, expanding cultural accessibility nationwide, and reducing disparities between central and peripheral regions.

Additionally, the coalition seeks to strengthen Israel's international cultural standing by expanding collaborations and exporting Israeli creations globally. Coalition members emphasize that following the COVID-19 pandemic and recent conflicts, culture has been a source of resilience and comfort for Israelis, underscoring the need to treat cultural investment as a national priority rather than a luxury. They also highlight that many countries allocate a significantly higher percentage of their budgets to culture, which also drives economic growth, employment, and state revenues.

Ury Yaniv, chair of Shacham, described the situation as an emergency, stating that cultural professions are nearing a breaking point and that any government formed after the elections must present a plan to increase cultural budgets. Roni Abulafia, head of the Documentary Forum, stressed that a society valuing life and spirit depends on strong public support and complete creative freedom. Eliran Elia, chair of the Directors Guild, called the coalition's formation a national initiative and urged the development of a long-term policy to ensure proper investment in Israeli culture.