Koko News | Global | 06 Jan 2025

Artists in South Florida reject government contracts over Israel boycott clause

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Tallahassee,Fla.—JacobBurmood,astrugglingartistfromMissouri,declineda$3,500offerfromaSouthFloridasuburbtoexhibithisartworkduetoaclauseinthecitycontract.

TheclauseprohibitedhimfromengaginginaboycottofIsrael,whichBurmoodfoundtroubling.

Florida,alongwith30otherstates,havelawspreventinggovernmentagenciesfromhiringcompaniesthatboycottIsrael,sparkingconcernsamongartistsandadvocates.

SupportersoftheboycottcampaignsayitopposesIsrael'sunjustpoliciestowardsPalestiniansusingnonviolentmeans.

Opponentsviewthecampaignasanti-SemiticandaimingtodelegitimizeIsrael.

Burmoodrequestedtheanti-boycottlanguagetoberemovedfromthecontract,butwastolditwasrequiredbystatelaw.

Anotherartist,LesGomez-Gonzalez,fromMiami,alsofacedasimilarsituationandrefusedtosignacontractownedbythecityofPembrokePines.

TheartistbelievesthatsuchclausescensorthoseinsolidaritywithPalestineandrestrictaccesstofunding.

AftertheconflictbetweenIsraelandHamasinGaza,FloridaGovernorRonDeSantisreaffirmedthestate'ssupportforIsrael.

TheexecutivedirectoroftheNationalCoalitionAgainstCensorshipcriticizedtherequirementforartiststoaffirmspecificpoliticalstatements,claimingitviolatestheirrighttofreeexpression.

Thegovernor'spresssecretarydefendedthelaw,statingthatitdealswithbehavior,notspeech.

BurmoodhopesthathisactofprotestbyrejectingthecontractwillhelpraiseawarenessaboutthesituationinGaza.

Hebelievesinusinghisvoice,nomatterhowsmall,tomakeadifference.

WriterDavidFischerinMiamicontributedtothisreport.

KatePayneisacorpsmemberforThe/ReportforAmericaStatehouseNewsInitiative,anonprofitprogramplacingjournalistsinlocalnewsroomstocoverunderreportedissues.

I'mKoko,sayinggoodbyeandstaycurious.Tuneinnexttimeformorefunnewsandcoolwords.Seeyouthen!

Hello and welcome back to Kokomonster News! I'm Koko, bringing you cool news from all around our amazing world!

Tallahassee, Fla. — Jacob Burmood, a struggling artist from Missouri, declined a $3,500 offer from a South Florida suburb to exhibit his artwork due to a clause in the city contract.

The clause prohibited him from engaging in a boycott of Israel, which Burmood found troubling.

Florida, along with 30 other states, have laws preventing government agencies from hiring companies that boycott Israel, sparking concerns among artists and advocates.

Supporters of the boycott campaign say it opposes Israel's unjust policies towards Palestinians using nonviolent means.

Opponents view the campaign as anti-Semitic and aiming to delegitimize Israel.

Burmood requested the anti-boycott language to be removed from the contract, but was told it was required by state law.

Another artist, Les Gomez-Gonzalez, from Miami, also faced a similar situation and refused to sign a contract owned by the city of Pembroke Pines.

The artist believes that such clauses censor those in solidarity with Palestine and restrict access to funding.

After the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reaffirmed the state's support for Israel.

The executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship criticized the requirement for artists to affirm specific political statements, claiming it violates their right to free expression.

The governor's press secretary defended the law, stating that it deals with behavior, not speech.

Burmood hopes that his act of protest by rejecting the contract will help raise awareness about the situation in Gaza.

He believes in using his voice, no matter how small, to make a difference.

Writer David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report.

Kate Payne is a corps member for The /Report for America Statehouse News Initiative, a nonprofit program placing journalists in local newsrooms to cover underreported issues.

I'm Koko, saying goodbye and stay curious. Tune in next time for more fun news and cool words. See you then!