In an open letter – in which the signatories accuse the Jewish state of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip – thousands of artists are calling for Israel’s exclusion from this year’s Venice Biennale.

The letter, published online by the Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA), states that “it is unacceptable to present artworks at an international cultural event from a state that is currently committing atrocities in the war-torn Gaza Strip”.

Israel is accused of genocide in the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel categorically rejects this accusation.

According to ANGA, more than 8,000 artists and cultural professionals have now signed the petition.

The request comes just two months before the famous and one of the biggest contemporary art fairs, hosted in Venice, starts on April 20 this year.

The Biennale will last until November 24. In the exhibition each country has its own exhibition space where works are exhibited.

The artists who signed the letter demand that Israel not be allowed to have its own space at the Biennale.

“Any official representation of Israel on the international cultural scene is an endorsement of its policies and the genocide in Gaza,” the letter, which collected signatures, emphasized.