Sir, – Paul Kearns and Motti Ruimy note that the authorised invitation for the “Postcards from Our City” never used the phrase “Tel Aviv emerging from the sands” (October 6th). However, this phrase was used on the invitation sent by the Israeli embassy for the event. Furthermore, this invitation lauds the “pluralism and tolerance” of the city – characteristics that will be news to Palestinian citizens of Israel who are systematically discriminated against by way of 30 state laws.
The letter from architects and academics in no way weakens the great public event that “Open House Dublin” is or the laudable work carried out by Dublin Civic Trust in regards to conserving Dublin’s built heritage.
Regardless of the intentions of Paul Kearns and Motti Ruimy, it is a shame that the Israeli embassy was allowed to manipulate this event and present itself as a neutral benefactor of culture, in this case architecture, when in fact the Israeli state openly utilises urban planning and architecture as a central plank of its colonisation of Palestinian lands and the ethnic cleansing of its citizens. Anyone in doubt should read Prof Eyal Weizmann’s two books A Civilian Occupation – the politics of Israeli architecture and Hollow Land – Israel’s Architecture of Occupation. – Yours, etc,