Arab-Israeli poet Dareen Tatour, who in May was convicted of online incitement to terrorism, plans to launch a photo exhibit about her five-month stint in prison, Israel Hayom learned Sunday.
The exhibit, titled "I, Prisoner #9022438," is slated to open on Saturday at the Arabic-Hebrew Saraya Theater in Jaffa.
The theater, whose activities are partially funded by the state and partially by the Tel Aviv Municipality, has hosted events considered borderline inciting in the past.
Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev denounced the exhibit, saying, "This despicable event is a direct result of the decision by [Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor] Lieberman and [Finance Minister Moshe] Kahlon not to support the amendment to the Culture and Art Law, which the media calls the 'culture loyalty bill.'"
The bill in question would ensure that institutions deemed disloyal to the state would not receive any state funding.
"Until this law passes," Regev continued, "Kahlon will continue to control the enforcement of [the legislation] that, unfortunately, to date, is nonexistent," she said, referring to articles in the state Budget Law slashing funding for cultural institutions that incite against Israel.
The Saraya Theater "continues to trample on Israeli laws and time and again gives the stage to a poet convicted and jailed for incitement to violence and terrorism. Until Kahlon and Lieberman will be so kind as to vote for a bill they themselves have previously endorsed, the finance minister is responsible for enforcing the existing law."
She further urged Kahlon to strip the theater of its funding.
Kahlon's office said that "if these allegations prove true, the finance minister will strip this institution of its funding in accordance with the law."
Shai Glick, head of Betzalmo, which describes itself as a "Jewish human rights organization," noted that "a theater is supposed to be a home for art and culture. In practice, this place hosts something that is the complete opposite – an exhibition about the life of a terrorist. This theater supports terrorists, it shows movies about terrorists, hosts Nakba and World Apartheid Week events – all of which are funded by the Israeli taxpayer. "
