FAQ

A Capoeira school I want to attend is not listed, what do I do?

There are many Capoeira groups around the world, so finding which ones are Palestine friendly is going to take a while.

If the school you are interested in is not listed, ask the teacher about whether their position on the issue and let them know about the initiative.

Are you calling for a boycott of Israeli Capoeira teachers? That seems unfair.

Israel maintains its system of oppression through economic, diplomatic and cultural legitimacy. As such, showing our disapproval by not supporting their events is the main way we can help with the cultural boycott of Israel.

This is in line with the cultural boycott of South Africa in the 1980s which helped dismantle the system of Apartheid and restore black South Africans their rights.

What about Israeli teachers who are against the occupation and genocide?

We would like to support them in any way we can. If you are one, or know of one, you can reach out to see how you or they can show their disapproval and how we can help them express their dissent.

I think such a boycott is antisemitic

Antisemitism is defined as “hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people.”

Being critical of Israel’s policies and taking action is not antisemitic, and neither is standing up for human rights.

Israel does not speak for all Jewish people and many Jewish people are against Israel’s policies. In fact some of the people who founded this initiative are Jewish.

Finally calling any criticism of Israel antisemitic devalues the accusation when real antisemitism (which is hatred against Jewish people) occurs.

I think this situation is too complicated, why should Capoeiristas get involved in Politics?

What actually makes it complicated? It is true that the events that led to the current situation are numerous, but then you could say that for any human suffering. One does not need to have a degree in the history of South Africa or Segregation in the US to understand injustice, and this situation is no different.

Our argument is that there is always an element of Politics in everything we do, and even not having an opinion or wanting to get involved is itself a political stance. Not speaking up or taking action allows others to speak for us.

This is about including the views of all members and making a Capoeira a safe space for everyone. Those who support genocide, the murder of civilians and war crimes cannot be considered to be making an inclusive and safe space.