The Israeli pavilion at the Venice Biennale remained closed despite the rest of the exhibitions opening their doors. The decision to suspend the inauguration of the pavilion, scheduled for this Tuesday, belongs to those responsible, the artist Ruth Patir and the two curators of the project, who did not notify the Israeli Government, which has provided half of the budget.

"Six months have passed since the brutal attack on Israel and the beginning of the horrible war that ravages Gaza. Art can wait, but the people who live in hell cannot. Art can wait, but the people who live in hell cannot. "There is no end in sight, only the promise of more pain, loss, and devastation,' Patir said. The Venice Biennale has not been an exception, after months of tensions arising from its participation. In February, the group Art Not Genocide Alliance issued an open letter demanding the exclusion of the Israeli pavilion from the “diorama of nation-states in the Giardini," the main venue of the Biennial. It was supported by 23,000 signatories, among whom were the photographer Nan Goldin and the representatives of Finland, Chile, and Nigeria in this edition. The group recalled that, faced with other political crises, the Venetian event did not hesitate to take action. For example, it sidelined South Africa until it was abolished in 1993. Likewise, in the 2022 edition, the Biennale made statements of support for Ukraine against "Russia's unacceptable military aggression" and rejected "any form of collaboration” with those who have carried out or supported such a serious act of aggression.