Israeli Supreme Court Calls to Close Bodies Exhibition
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BODIES – The Exhibit, a controversial show that displays plastinated human remains has been in Tel Aviv since May.
On September 3rd, the Israeli Supreme Court announced a decree that unless organizers close the show by September 27th, the Country’s Attorney General must appear before the Court within 15 days and explain why he has not closed it.
Israeli Lawyer David Schonberg was the one who applied to the court to close the exhibit. We spoke with his legal representative Roee Shahar to find out why.
[Roee Shahar, Administration Law Advocate]:
“The big problem with this exhibition is a problem that characterizes not only the exhibition in Israel but all over the world, this is a show based on people’s bodies unclaimed after they died. This is a cynical and commercial exploitation of the people who died in China and hence the call to close the show.”
“The big problem with this exhibition is a problem that characterizes not only the exhibition in Israel but all over the world, this is a show based on people’s bodies unclaimed after they died. This is a cynical and commercial exploitation of the people who died in China and hence the call to close the show.”
Shuki Gur brought the exhibition to Tel Aviv this year.
[Shuki Gur, Producer, "Bodies Exhibition", Tel Aviv]:
“This exhibition really gives us the ability to look into this wonderful machine called man. We can see in the exhibition how the inner fabric of the human body that you, I and our viewers can now see. How it is built from the inside. The value of the show is very, very important for education. It allows people to know the human body.”
“This exhibition really gives us the ability to look into this wonderful machine called man. We can see in the exhibition how the inner fabric of the human body that you, I and our viewers can now see. How it is built from the inside. The value of the show is very, very important for education. It allows people to know the human body.”
But there is a problem. As per the decree by Israeli Supreme Court, the exhibit presents bodies and parts of bodies with no record of consent from the deceased or their families for the display of their bodies. And because the bodies came from China, some are concerned they may have come from prisoners, including prisoners of conscience, who may have been tortured to death or murdered.
[Roee Shahar, Administration Law Advocate] (Hebrew, Male)
“This issue has been investigated by the Attorney General of the State of New York and organizers of the exhibition there failed to provide explanations for the source of the bodies. Needless to say, there are more than a few suspicions, and there is also a theory that says that prisoners were tortured and executed.”
“This issue has been investigated by the Attorney General of the State of New York and organizers of the exhibition there failed to provide explanations for the source of the bodies. Needless to say, there are more than a few suspicions, and there is also a theory that says that prisoners were tortured and executed.”
Human rights activists have identified a group of prisoners of conscience that are particularly vulnerable—Falun Gong practitioners. They often hide their identifies in order to protect family members or acquaintance, and if these individuals die in prison from torture and abuse, they would simply disappear.
In front of the entrance to the exhibit is this statement. It says the bodies do not come from Chinese prisons nor from Hospitals. But during his interview, event producer Shuki Gur acknowledged that the organizers cannot say for certain where the bodies came from.
[Shuki Gur, Producer, "Bodies Exhibition", Tel Aviv]:
“Actually the deceased are currently presented to the public and there is no need to know who they are. The statement at the entrance to the exhibition states that we don’t know exactly what the source of the bodies is. As far as I know the whole process is very legal but I cannot declare it. So we have a statement saying that we, the producers in Israel, do not know what the source of the bodies is.”
“Actually the deceased are currently presented to the public and there is no need to know who they are. The statement at the entrance to the exhibition states that we don’t know exactly what the source of the bodies is. As far as I know the whole process is very legal but I cannot declare it. So we have a statement saying that we, the producers in Israel, do not know what the source of the bodies is.”
Shuki Gur says the bodies are provided by his international agent, and believes his exhibit is legal.
[Shuki Gur, Producer, "Bodies Exhibition", Tel Aviv]:
“I cannot say if they were donated. As far as I know, this is very legal. As far as I know, according to Chinese law an unclaimed body can be used for display or science. According to the documents I have from the international agent, I know this exhibition is perfectly legal.”
“I cannot say if they were donated. As far as I know, this is very legal. As far as I know, according to Chinese law an unclaimed body can be used for display or science. According to the documents I have from the international agent, I know this exhibition is perfectly legal.”
Israeli Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Lizman does not think the show is legal according to Israeli law. In addition to the Supreme Court decree, Deputy Minister Lizman has also asked the Attorney General to close the show because Israeli law requires dead bodies to be buried within 48 hours from death. His request has not yet been answered.
Aside from the legal challenges to the exhibits, several Israeli groups have stage their own protests.
Yitzhak Lampert a young Religious Institute Student from Jerusalem and Yehuda Pua a young teacher from the north of Israel have been leading a Facebook campaign. They also organized a protest in Jerusalem last week, urging the Israelis Attorney General to close the exhibit and bury the bodies.
[Yitzhak Lampert, Religious Institute Student]:
“The reality in China is unacceptable to us and we do not accept that it comes here to the State of Israel under our noses. All this moral stench. That is unacceptable to us that it comes to Israel.”
“The reality in China is unacceptable to us and we do not accept that it comes here to the State of Israel under our noses. All this moral stench. That is unacceptable to us that it comes to Israel.”
A group of teachers also created a petition addressed to head of the Israeli Teachers’ Association calling on them not to cooperate with the exhibit as they shouldn’t support making money from the dead bodies of Chinese citizens and political prisoners.
Three well-known Israeli Rabbis also joined the protest and called-on the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu to bury the bodies on Israeli land.
For now, the exhibit remains open. Organizers are optimistic that they won’t lose the legal process, since the exhibit is scheduled to close soon anyway. However the protesters still have a hope.
[Roee Shahar, Administration Law Advocate]:
“I believe and hope that the exhibition will shut down. I believe and hope that State of Israel will play a leading role for other countries to understand that using the human body for commercial purposes without the consent of the deceased is strictly forbidden.”
“I believe and hope that the exhibition will shut down. I believe and hope that State of Israel will play a leading role for other countries to understand that using the human body for commercial purposes without the consent of the deceased is strictly forbidden.”
The exhibit of more than 200 bodies and body parts is scheduled to run in Tel Aviv until mid-October.
NTD News, Tel Aviv, Israel
Photograher: Michael Ash
Photograher: Michael Ash
From - http://ntdtv.org
