Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) is a pro-
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
organization which works to counter antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in the entertainment industry.
It was founded in 2011 by David Renzer,
Steve Schnur
Steve Schnur is Worldwide Executive and President of Music for Electronic Arts (EA), the largest video game producer in the world and home to titles like Madden NFL, The Sims and Medal of Honor.
Schnur was born in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, whe ...
, and Ran Geffen-Lifshitz. CCFP is opposed to the
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. Its objective is to pressure Israel to meet what the BDS movement describes as Israel's obligations ...
(BDS) movement and the idea to create the organization came up in on a conversation about BDS. The organization claims to be
apolitical
Apoliticism is apathy or antipathy towards all political affiliations. A person may be described as apolitical if they are uninterested or uninvolved in politics. Being apolitical can also refer to situations in which people take an unbiased p ...
.
CCFP contacts celebrities who are scheduled to perform in Israel, attempting to counter BDS lobbying for them to cancel their appearances. CCFP describes their role as supporting and informing artists and helping facilitating music being played in peaceful gatherings.
It has also released petitions and open letters.
Founding
Creative Community for Peace was founded in 2011 by David Renzer, the former CEO of
Universal Music Publishing
Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a North American music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. It was formerly known as MCA Music Publishing until it merged with PolyGram.
Universal Music Publishing is the wor ...
;
Steve Schnur
Steve Schnur is Worldwide Executive and President of Music for Electronic Arts (EA), the largest video game producer in the world and home to titles like Madden NFL, The Sims and Medal of Honor.
Schnur was born in Scotch Plains, New Jersey, whe ...
of
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted th ...
; and Ran Geffen-Lifshitz, founder of
MMG Music. The three decided to start the organization while eating breakfast at the
Dan Hotel in
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
in 2011 and discussing the
BDS movement
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. Its objective is to pressure Israel to meet what the BDS movement describes as Israel's obligations ...
. They began asking friends and coworkers in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
to get involved, and reaching out to celebrities who were scheduled to play in Tel Aviv in an attempt to counter BDS lobbying for celebrities to cancel their appearances in Israel.
Views
Creative Community for Peace is a pro-Israel organization which works to counter antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment in the entertainment industry.
They seek to get artists and performers to promote the arts as a bridge to peace.
The organization's website focuses on Israel's cultural diversity and technology, with less focus on the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other eff ...
.
Co-founder Steve Schnur praised the power of
the arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both h ...
to build bridges and bring people together.
Co-founder David Renzer claims their goal is to provide balance in dialogue.
CCFP co-founder Ran Geffen-Lifshitz stated in 2014 that the sole purpose of CCFP is to assist artists and performers with navigating appearances in Israel.
Craig Balsam (co-founder of Razor & Tie Entertainment) says that CCFP doesn't try to whitewash things or claim Israel is perfect. He says that CCFP objects to "factually incorrect, inflammatory and extreme" statements.According to Balsam, performing in Israel is an opportunity for artists to see first hand what's going on in Israel.
Co-founder Steve Schnur said in 2019 that CCFP is
apolitical
Apoliticism is apathy or antipathy towards all political affiliations. A person may be described as apolitical if they are uninterested or uninvolved in politics. Being apolitical can also refer to situations in which people take an unbiased p ...
and
non-religious
Irreligion or nonreligion is the absence or rejection of religion, or indifference to it. Irreligion takes many forms, ranging from the casual and unaware to full-fledged philosophies such as atheism and agnosticism, secular humanism and anti ...
.
Renzer said that their vision is that through "dialogue and conversation and education" there would eventually be a peaceful resolution to the Israel/Palestine conflict.
CCFP Director, Ari praised apolitical statements for peace from
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to t ...
and
DJ Khaled
Khaled Mohammed Khaled (born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ, record executive, record producer and rapper.
Khaled first gained recognition as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station 99 Jamz, a ...
who respectively said "stand
with humanity" and "love and light and prayers."
The website describes CCFP as a group composed of members with diverse political views about how Israel can attain peace.
CCFP Director, Ari Ingel claims that misinformation is being spread online and the amplified with social media influences with no information of what's actually happening. He believes this only seeks to inflame the situation, instead of de-escalating it.
Ingel spoke about problems with Clubhouse not having any ability to monitor hate speecha and said there was a disturbing about of anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and antisemitic tropes in the rooms including "Jews running the slave trade" and "running all the banks."
The organization is opposed to
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement promoting boycotts, divestments, and economic sanctions against Israel. Its objective is to pressure Israel to meet what the BDS movement describes as Israel's obligations ...
. In 2013, Forward wrote that they dispute the use of the term "occupation" to describe
Israel's control over the
West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
. They take position that
Israeli settlements are not an obstacle to peace and dispute claims that
Israel is practicing apartheid.
CCFP believes that performers boycotting Israel is not going to create peace.
CCFP claims that some artists feel harassed or even physically threatened by BDS groups.
CCFP believes that Hamas is playing a leading role in the Israel/Palestine violence.
Renzer says they seek to create multicultural experiences and events. Renzer praises the ideas of diversity and co-existence; highlighting the idea that at DJ shows in Israel can be 50% Jews and 50% non-Jews.
Renzer has also expressed support for the black community, while insisting that
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan (; born Louis Eugene Walcott, May 11, 1933) is an American religious leader, black supremacist, anti-white and antisemitic conspiracy theorist, and former singer who heads the Nation of Islam (NOI). Prior to joining the NOI ...
distance himself from his "previous anti-Semitic comments". Ingel expressed support for the black community's fight for justice in the United States, but added that "fighting racism with antisemitism is unacceptable."
In 2020, Renzer spoke of how Jews and African Americans have a long history of standing together for civil rights. He spoke of a desire to work with the Black entertainment community to "amplify voices of reason".
Ingel works with the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance in addition to CCFP.
Activity
When it was founded, Creative Community for Peace began reaching out to celebrities who were scheduled to play in Tel Aviv in an attempt to counter BDS lobbying for celebrities to cancel their appearances in Israel.
In 2013,
Lana Melman, then director of Creative Community for Peace, said its members use their personal connections to reach out to other artists and give them "balanced information" about Israel, additionally educating them about "the artistic freedom there, and work
ngto arrest potential cancellations". David Siegel,
consul general
A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...
for Israel in Los Angeles, said in 2013 that "
CFP areeffective because they work from inside the industry."
CCFP reaches out to every major artist or performer was is going to play in Israel, and helps prepare them for the coordinated BDS campaign they're going to face.
In 2013, BDS activists organized a petition to try to convince
Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Colu ...
not to play in "apartheid Israel" which got 16,000 signatures. In response, CCFP board members disputed the apartheid comparison, and organized their own petition which received 18,000 signatures; Keys ended up playing in Israel.
In 2014, six weeks after the beginning of
Operation Protective Edge
The 2014 Gaza War, also known as Operation Protective Edge ( he, מִבְצָע צוּק אֵיתָן, translit=Miv'tza Tzuk Eitan, ),
was a military operation launched by Israel on 8 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territories, Pale ...
, CCFP published a petition signed by almost 200 Hollywood figures in ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'', and ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
''. The petition expressed support for Israel and criticized
Hamas
Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
. The language of the petition called for peace and expressed sadness over the loss of life on both sides, and described Hamas as a terrorist organization determined to try to destroy Israel.
In 2018, they hosted their inaugural "Ambassadors of Peace" event with more than 400 attendees. Scooter Braun who was one of the award winners said at the event "the best way we can change the world is coming together and having a dialogue with the intention that all people are good people, and I think this organization pushes for that"
In 2019, 11,200 signed their petition expressing support the planned
Eurovision Song Contest which was due to happen in Israel. The petition said in part that BDS protesters sought to transform the competition from a spirit of togetherness to a "weapon of division". The competition went forward.
In 2019, they hosted their second "Ambassadors of Peace" event with more than 400 entertainment industry executives in attendance. Ziggy Marley was honored at the event as one of their Ambassadors. Jacqueline Saturn was also celebrated as an "Ambassador". She said she travels to Israel yearly and "There's not a better place to witness unity than in Jerusalem". Another winner Aaron Bay-Schuck described CCFP as an organization which "understands that music is a force for change. Bay-Schuck also added that "the BDS movement is cowardly, hypocritical and bullying in its purest form."
In 2021, more than 125 entertainment leaders, including KISS frontman Gene Simmons and Grammy Award-winning artist Michael Bublé, signed the CCFP's open letter, which urges peace in the Middle East and an end to inflammatory one-sided accounts. The letter was put out in the midst of a flare up in the Israel/Palestine conflict. The letter also acknowledged the pain and loss on both sides of the conflict.
Celebrity involvement
Alicia Keys
The BDS movement was very active in trying to get Alicia Keys not to visit Israel. CCFP worked with her management team to help facilitate her trip. They also connected her with an Israel musician
Idan Raichel
Idan Raichel ( he, עידן רייכל, ; b. 12 September 1977) is an Israeli singer-songwriter and musician known for his "Idan Raichel Project" (Hebrew: ), distinctive for its fusion of electronics, traditional Hebrew texts, and diverse mus ...
whom they say is focused on using music as a means of peace and co-existence. Keys performed in Israel with a multi-cultural group of musicians.
Bhad Bhabie
Danielle Bregoli also known as
Bhad Bhabie
Danielle Bregoli (born March 26, 2003), known professionally as Bhad Bhabie (, "bad baby"), is an American rapper and internet personality. She first became known from an appearance on ''Dr. Phil'' in September 2016, in which she uttered the phr ...
made an appearance at CCFP's 2019 Ambassadors of Peace event. She posted a picture of herself at the event, tagging CCFP and captioning it "BHABIE SUPPORTS PEACE BICH".
Despite BDS protests, she went ahead with a concert in Tel Aviv.
Cyndi Lauper
CCFP worked closely with Cyndi Lauper and team on her trip to Israel. She specifically wanted to visit an LGBTQ facility in Israel. CCFP organized an event at Tel Aviv's LGBT Center where she met with gay activist and took questions from the crowd. Lauper praised Israel's "warmth, democracy and diversity." Times of Israel describes the event as a "huge success for Israel advocacy".
Diane Warren
12-time Oscar Nominee Songwriter Diane Warren is active with CCFP. Brian Fishbach says "the arts are a vital mechanism in creating lasting change" and "Diane Warren knows what it takes to bridge divides". And Warren says "nothing can change the world like music".
Eric Burdon
In 2013,
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941) is an English singer. He was previously the lead vocalist of R&B and rock band the Animals and funk band War. He is regarded as one of the British Invasion's most distinctive singers with his deep, po ...
, the former frontman for
The Animals
The Animals (also billed as Eric Burdon and the Animals) are an English rock band, formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early 1960s. The band moved to London upon finding fame in 1964. The Animals were known for their gritty, bluesy sound an ...
cancelled a show in Tel Aviv after pressure from BDS activists. According to CCFP the BDS activism was "violent" and Burdon feared for his safety. CCFP reached out to him, convinced him he would be safe in Israel, and went ahead with the originally planned show.
Haim Saban
Egyptian born, media-producer Haim Saban says "The BDS movement is not only anti-Israel, but anti-Semitic". He claims that Creative Community for Peace is the opposite of BDS, trying to bring people together instead of break them apart.
He insists there has to be a way to sit down and talk things out, and that he prays for peace for all.
Shaquille O'Neal
CCFP released a video from Shaquille O'Neal wishing all Jews a happy Sukkot.
Ziggy Marley
Ziggy Marley
David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born 17 October 1968) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician, actor and philanthropist. He is the son of reggae icon Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until ...
was honored as an Ambassador of Peace and a 2019 CCFP event. At the event he said he's been going to Israel since he as a teenager. He said he doesn't play in Israel for political reasons, he does so to "spread our message of justice, love, and peace for all people."
Awards
In 2018, CSQ Magazine listed CCFP as part of its Philanthropy 100: LA and NY Philanthropies You Should Know
Connection to StandWithUs
While waiting for approval of its
tax-exempt status
Tax exemption is the reduction or removal of a liability to make a compulsory payment that would otherwise be imposed by a ruling power upon persons, property, income, or transactions. Tax-exempt status may provide complete relief from taxes, redu ...
, CCFP partnered with the
nonprofit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
StandWithUs (SWU) in order to be able to receive donations. According to tax experts this is a legal and common practice.
''
The Forward
''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ...
'' reported in 2013, that CCFP didn't have tax-exempt status yet, the partnership was ongoing, and that CCFP was additionally sharing office space with SWU. In a press release shared in full on Billboard, CCFP explains that as a young organization CCFP cut costs sharing accounting and HR services with SWU; both groups paid their share.
Adalah-NY
Adalah-NY: The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel is a New York-based organization that campaigns for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. “Adalah” is the Arabic word for “justice.”
Origins
Founded in August ...
has claimed that Creative Community for Peace is a branch of StandWithUs.
The group's founders have maintained that there is no formal partnership between CCFP and SWU.
David Renzer, a founder of CCFP, told ''The Forward'' that CCFP had always been independent from SWU and had "no day-to-day relationship" with the organization.
References
{{Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
2012 establishments in the United States
Non-governmental organizations involved in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Opposition to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Zionist organizations in the United States
Israel–United States relations