Film and theater actor Rami Baruch announced on Sunday that he will not perform at the recently completed cultural center in the Hebron suburb of Kiryat Arba. Residents of Kiryat Arba will inaugurate a new NIS 14 million cultural center on Sept. 19, one day before the intended Palestinian declaration of statehood at the U.N. General Assembly. The decision to open the center immediately prior to the U.N. hearing is intended to clarify to the world that the Jewish presence in Hebron is an established fact, said residents. Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and Minister for Regional Cooperation and Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom are expected to attend the ribbon-cutting. Baruch was expected to perform his show "Pollard" at the center, which he usually performs at the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv. "It's hard for me to go on stage at a cultural center right next to a memorial for Baruch Goldstein," Baruch said on Sunday, referring to the Israeli who murdered 29 Muslims at prayer in 1994 in what became known as the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre. "It is a place that has stood out on more than occasion for cruelty to its neighbors and the IDF soldiers who protect it. It's against my beliefs and worldview." In response to Baruch's statement, Director General of the Cameri Theater Noam Semel said "We will solve this problem within the Cameri and deal with the issue within the theater." "It's unfortunate that Rami decided of his own accord to boycott thousands of culture-loving residents," said Kiryat Arba-Hebron regional council head Malachi Levinger. "He has chosen to disregard the Knesset's boycott law. We hope and believe that the Cameri will honor its commitment."
