Israeli Culture in Crisis Since COVID; New Coalition Demands More State Investment

Dozens of cultural organizations have announced the formation of the 'Right to Culture' coalition, demanding a gradual increase in the culture budget from 0.15% to 1% of GDP. CBS data shows a decline in the creation and consumption of Israeli culture: fewer books, films, and cinema tickets, and a reduction in the number of cinemas. The coalition will approach party leaders and examine their positions.

Dozens of cultural organizations announced today (Monday) the establishment of a culture and creation coalition named 'Right to Culture'. The coalition demands placing culture at the center of the national agenda ahead of the elections and gradually increasing the culture budget from 0.15% of GDP to 1%. It includes professional unions, creators' associations, and cultural institutions, representing more than ten thousand creators in fields such as theater, cinema, literature, and dance. The coalition will approach party leaders and examine their positions on culture. The plan includes defining culture as a civil right, strengthening cultural institutions, anchoring the Status of the Artist Law, and safeguarding freedom of expression. CBS data published last month shows a decline in both the creation and consumption of local culture. National spending on culture averaged 4.7% of GDP annually between 2020 and 2024, a drop of nearly a fifth compared to 5.6% at the beginning of the previous decade. The number of published books fell from an annual average of 8,070 in 2015-2019 to 7,470 in 2020-2023. An average of 35 feature films were produced annually in 2020-2024, compared to 52 in 2015-2019. An average of 11.7 million cinema tickets were sold annually in 2021-2024, compared to 17.4 million in the second half of the previous decade. The number of cinemas dropped from 56 in 2017 to 50 in 2024. The average government investment in culture in the European Union stands at 0.5% of GDP, more than three times that of Israel. The 1% target is derived from UNESCO's recommendation, and as a first step, the coalition recommends doubling spending to 0.3% of GDP. Irit Frank, chair of AMI, said that culture is the value-based infrastructure of Israeli society. Alon Sapan, CEO of the Nature Museum, said the coalition will work to promote creative freedom.