LONDON (Dispatches) – Over 1,100 arts professionals have called on London’s premier theater Sadler’s Wells to end its funding relationship with Barclays due to the bank’s significant investments in companies involved in the Zionist regime’s arms trade.
In an open letter, which was delivered to the theater, the artists demand “Sadler’s Wells cut ties with Barclays, remove Nigel Higgins from the board, and engage in discussions on ethical funding.” 
Higgins sits as chair on Sadler’s Wells’ board of trustees. He is also Barclays Bank’s Group chairman and chairman of Barclays Bank PLC.
Highlighting that the theater hosted a fundraiser for the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, the artists say they “cannot ignore its role in providing cover for Barclays’ egregious complicity in Israel’s genocide in Palestine.”
“As in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, we strongly believe that artists and cultural institutions have an ethical duty to end complicity in oppression. We call on Sadler’s Wells to join us in recognizing its own place in history.”
A report released in May found that Barclays now holds over £2 billion ($2.5 billion) in shares of companies whose weapons, components and military technology have been used in violence against Palestinians by the Zionist regime. Barclays also provides over £6.1 billion ($7.6 billion) in loans and underwriting to these arms and military technology companies. This includes holding £2.7 million ($3.36 million) in Elbit Systems, which supplies the Israeli military with armored drones, munitions and artillery weapons used in its attacks in Gaza.
In response to MEMO’s request for comment, Barclays pointed to a Q&A on its website which says “Barclays has been the subject of criticism in relation to Gaza based on two arguments: that Barclays is an investor in these businesses, and that we provide a range of financial services to clients which produce equipment used by the Israeli force.”