NORFOLK, UK – Matthew Collings, a 70-year-old British artist, created over 130 drawings condemning Israel's genocide against Palestinians. His exhibition, 'Drawings Against Genocide,' was abruptly canceled by a London gallery after intervention by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), which claimed the works were anti-Semitic.

Collings denies the allegations, stating that his drawings target Zionism and the Israeli state, not Jews. 'Nothing in my drawings is remotely anti-Semitic,' he told Al Jazeera. Kent Police found no criminal offenses, but UKLFI continued to pressure venues.

The group sent letters to galleries, warning of potential legal breaches. Delta House gallery in London subsequently canceled the show. Collings and his partner received thousands of threatening emails from pro-Israel activists.

Anna Ost of the European Legal Support Center noted that UKLFI appears 128 times in a database tracking suppression of pro-Palestine expression. 'Art and culture are strategic targets for those sustaining Israel's genocide,' she said.

Despite the setback, Collings plans future shows in the UK and Australia. He criticized the art world for lacking courage to support pro-Palestine sentiment publicly. 'Wherever there is a battle lost, several are won,' he said.

Source: www.aljazeera.com