Tricycle Theatre overturns Jewish Film Festival boycott

London’s Tricycle Theatre has withdrawn its controversial boycott of the Jewish Film Festival and invited the event to unconditionally return in 2015.

The Kilburn facility – which has held screenings for the annual festival for the past eight years – provoked widespread anger after pulling the plug on its involvement in this year’s event when organisers refused to hand back £1,400 of support from the Israeli embassy.

A joint statement by the Tricycle Theatre and UK Jewish Film Festival states: “Some weeks ago The UKJFF fell out, very publicly, with The Tricycle over a condition imposed by the Tricycle regarding funding. This provoked considerable public upset. Both organisations have come together to end that.

“Following lengthy discussions between The Tricycle and UKJFF, the Tricycle has now withdrawn its objection and invited back the UK Jewish Film Festival on the same terms as in previous years with no restrictions on funding from the Embassy of Israel in London.

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“The UKJFF and The Tricycle have agreed to work together to rebuild their relationship and although the Festival are not able to return in 2014, we hope to begin the process of rebuilding trust and confidence with a view to holding events in the future.

“We both profoundly hope that those who take differing views on the events of the last few weeks will follow our lead and come together to acknowledge that dialogue, reconciliation and engagement will resolve points of difference and ensure that cultural diversity thrives in all communities.”

The news will come as huge relief to the Jewish community, some of whom protested outside the theatre last week.

Donors, including Sir Trevor Chinn, revealed to the Jewish News this week they were withdrawing their funding. He said: “We are as a community under pressure from the boycott movement. We can’t accept boycotts and whenever one comes along we have to fight it.”