Sally Rooney, Naomi Klein Among Authors Calling for Israeli Literature Boycott

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As a lifelong bookworm who has traveled far and wide to immerse myself in diverse literary landscapes, I stand firmly with those who call for a reconsideration of our engagement with Israeli cultural institutions amidst the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. My heart is heavy as I witness the unjust treatment of Palestinians, and it is crucial we use our voices to advocate for their rights enshrined in international law.

Approximately 1000 authors such as Sally Rooney from “Normal People”, Naomi Klein, and Rachel Kushner are participating in a protest by signing a petition advocating for a cultural boycott against Israeli literary organizations during the prolonged Israel-Gaza conflict.

The signatories declared they would abstain from participating in cultural events hosted by Israeli institutions as a form of protest against the ongoing effects on Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas conflict, which began following a terrorist attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. In their view, it is important to scrutinize the connections between these institutions and apartheid and displacement. As stated in the petition led by the Palestinian Festival of Literature and other organizations, “We have a responsibility to act. We cannot in good conscience collaborate with Israeli establishments without questioning their involvement in oppression.

A number of notable authors and publishing professionals, such as Arundhati Roy, Annie Ernaux, Percival Everett, Ben Lerner, Jonathan Lethem, Mohsin Hamid, and Gillian Slovo, have endorsed a literary boycott against Israel. This action is intended to target institutions that do not acknowledge “the inherent rights of the Palestinian people as mandated by international law,” as stated in the petition.

Their boycott campaign sparked a counter-petition organized by the Creative Community For Peace that argued “the instincts and motivations behind cultural boycotts, in practice and throughout history, are directly in opposition to the liberal values most writers hold sacred.”

Despite individual perspectives on the ongoing dispute, boycotting artists and artistic establishments merely intensifies division and fuels additional hostility. We invite our global companions and peers to unite with us in demonstrating their backing for Israeli and Jewish publishing houses, authors, and all book festivals, publishers, and literary agencies that resist censorship based on identity or tests of allegiance.” – the anti-boycott statement reads.

Notable figures such as Lee Child (creator of Jack Reacher), Howard Jacobson, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Adam Gopnik, David Mamet, Mayim Bialik, and Debra Messing have all added their signatures to this opposing petition.

THR shares a copy of the Petition from Palestinian Festival of Literature group below.

As a compassionate reader and supporter of literature, I am compelled to express my deep concern as we grapple with one of the most severe moral, political, and cultural crises of our time – the unrelenting injustice inflicted upon the Palestinians. This conflict has now seeped into our homes and struck a chord within us. The urgency is palpable: Israel’s actions have rendered Gaza nearly uninhabitable. The exact number of Palestinians Israel has taken lives since October remains uncertain, as Israel has destroyed the very infrastructure necessary for counting and burying the deceased. However, we do know that at least 43,362 Palestinian lives in Gaza have been lost since October, making this century’s bloodiest conflict on children.

The actions carried out against the Palestinian population can be defined as a form of genocide, according to numerous scholars and institutions. Israeli authorities have openly discussed their intentions to eradicate the people of Gaza, hinder Palestinian statehood, and seize Palestinian territory. This escalation follows 75 years of displacement, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid. The role of culture has been significant in justifying these atrocities. Israeli cultural establishments, often collaborating with the government, have played a crucial part in concealing, disguising, and sanitizing the dispossession and oppression of millions of Palestinians for many years.

Here’s one way to rephrase the original text while maintaining its essence:

  1. Are complicit in violating Palestinian rights, including through discriminatory policies and practices or by whitewashing and justifying Israel’s occupation, apartheid or genocide, or
  2. Have never publicly recognized the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people as enshrined in international law. 

By collaborating with these establishments, we unintentionally cause harm to Palestinians. Therefore, we invite our fellow authors, editors, artists, and publishing professionals to join us in this commitment. We urge our publishers, editors, and agents to stand with us, acknowledge their participation, recognize their moral obligation, and cease working with the Israeli state and institutions that support it.

A copy of the counter-petition from the Creative Community For Peace follows:

We, the undersigned writers, authors, and entertainment industry professionals reject the calls to boycott Israeli and Jewish writers, publishers, authors, book festivals and literary agencies, along with those who support, work with, or platform them. We continue to be shocked and disappointed to see members of the literary community harass and ostracize their colleagues because they don’t share a one-sided narrative in response to the greatest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Israel is fighting existential wars against Hamas and Hezbollah, both US, UK, and European Union designated terrorist groups.

Refusing to include individuals who don’t universally criticize Israel is a twisted twist of morals and a distortion of truth. Throughout history, self-proclaimed righteous groups have seized brief periods of power to impose their idea of purity, persecuting, excluding, boycotting, and intimidating those whose views they disagreed with. They made lists of people with ‘unacceptable’ opinions, burned books deemed ‘immoral’ (and sometimes people), and over the past year, planned bookstore appearances by Jewish authors have been canceled, ads for books about Israel have been rejected, book readings have been shut down, literary groups have been targeted, and activists have publicized lists of “Zionist” authors to harass.

The instincts and motivations behind cultural boycotts, in practice and throughout history, are directly in opposition to the liberal values most writers hold sacred. Boycotts against authors and those who work with them is illiberal and dangerous. In fact, we believe that writers, authors, and books — along with the festivals that showcase them — bring people together, transcend boundaries, broaden awareness, open dialogue, and can affect positive change.

We are convinced that anyone who works against the essence of this pursuit, which is freedom, justice, equality, and peace, merely sets up additional barriers. Regardless of individual perspectives on the ongoing dispute, boycotting creative professionals and institutions only fuels more division and fosters further animosity. Instead, we encourage our global network of friends and colleagues to stand with us in advocating for Israeli, Jewish, and all publishers, authors, and literary events that resist censorship based on identity or ideological requirements.

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2024-10-31 21:27