Festival chief Jonathan Mills warns protesters ‘stay away from Israeli dancers’

The director of the Edinburgh International Festival has defended his decision to invite an Israeli dance company to the city yesterday and said “disingenuous” pro-Palestinian protesters should not disrupt the group’s performance.

Jonathan Mills said the Batsheva Dance Company, which performs here at the end of August, had been invited independently by the Festival in a visit that was not supported by the Israeli foreign ministry. He said his organisation joined in the decision to invite Israel’s culture minister to the first International Cultural Summit, though the country opted not to attend. Palestinian playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi was among yesterday’s speakers.

In 2008, a Queen’s Hall performance by string players of the Jerusalem Quartet was disrupted by protesters, but Mr Mills said the same activist groups had failed to rally behind a Festival appearance by the Palestinian National Theatre that same year.

The Scottish Palestinian Solidarity Campaign has already launched a campaign over Bathseva’s appearance urging people not to “dance with Israeli apartheid”. Chairman Mick Napier said the company’s performance was part of promoting “Brand Israel”.