A MANCHESTER arts venue has decided to reinstate an event celebrating Palestinian voices following a successful boycott.

Home Theatre Manchester was initially due to host Voices of Resilience on April 22.

The venue axed the event after the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester sent a letter calling for it to be cancelled. 

It claimed that one of the featured writers, Atef Abu Saif, who is Palestine’s culture minister, was a “confirmed anti-semite” and a “Holocaust denier.”

Organiser of the event, Comma Press, said that the allegations were “utterly false” and “libellous.”

An open letter from Artists for Palestine UK accusing the venue of having “contributed to the silencing of Palestinian voices” was signed by hundreds of artists and cultural workers, including Morning Star ambassador Maxine Peake and actor Kingsley Ben-Adir.

On Saturday, more than 1,000 people protested outside the venue over the decision, and artists removed their works from the venue as part of the boycott.

After a successful campaign, Home issued a statement today apologising “for any distress or upset caused,” and confirming that the event will now go ahead.

“We support Palestinian and all community voices, and acknowledge that we can learn from how this was handled,” it said.

In a statement, Comma Press said the decision was a “potential watershed moment in the campaign against the intimidation that arts venues face for showcasing Palestinian artists and voices.

“We’ve been deeply moved and overwhelmed by the solidarity shown to us by the artist community in Manchester, whose actions in protest and support of Voices of Resilience stand as a testament to the strength of our collective voice.”