Israel Accuses Venice Biennale Jury of Politicizing Awards Over ICC Charges

The Venice Biennale jury faced accusations of politicizing this year's event from Israel's foreign ministry after it declared that no prizes would be awarded to nations whose leaders are under International Criminal Court charges for crimes against humanity. The ministry condemned the jury's choice to exclude Israeli sculptor Belu-Simion Fainaru, labeling it as 'false, anti-Israeli political indoctrination.' This decision, which is believed to pertain to both Israel and Russia, came in light of ICC arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu. The Biennale clarified that the jury operates independently. Additionally, the EU retracted around €2m in funding due to Russia's involvement, with EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas calling it 'morally wrong.' Italy's culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, will also skip the event.