Filed under: 1948, 2008, Anniversary, Anniversary Plans, France, Independence, Israel, Israel at 60 Celebration, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, May, Nicolas Sarkozy, Palestine, Paris Book Fair, Turin Book Fair | Tags: Aharon Shabtai, Fiera del libro, Salon du livre, Silvia Cattori
The only Israeli writer to boycott the Paris book fair explains why.
Silvia Cattori & Aharon Shabtaï
26 February, 2008
Countercurrents.orgAn Interview with Aharon Shabtaï
When the announcement that Israel would attend the “Fiera del libro” of Turin, (*) came out, an immediate wave of protest arose in Italy; and many personalities supported the boycott call, made by the Palestinian, Jordanian and Egyptian Writers’ Associations (**). In France, strangely enough, the same invitation, to the “Salon du livre” of Paris, did not make much noise. Alone, the Israeli poet Aharon Shabtaï has refused to participate in these events, contrary to the 39 Israeli writers who accepted to be part of the Israeli delegation to these two exhibitions. Aharon Shabtaï explains here why these events –which he qualifies as “promotion of propaganda” for Israel-, must be boycotted, as well as any cultural event where this apartheid State is celebrated.
Silvia Cattori: In December 2007, learning that your name was among 40 Israeli writers invited at the “Salon du livre” of Paris where Israel is the “guest of honour”, you declared that it is not possible to participate in an event where Israel, which commits daily crimes against civilians, is invited. Apparently, 39 Israeli writers do not see any problem in participating!?Aharon Shabtaï [1]: This event will be opened by the French president Sarkozy and the Israeli president Shimon Perès. Given this situation, going to the “Salon du livre” of Paris as a writer, with the Israeli delegation, means that you are going dressed with the colour of the Israeli flag. Every day, Israel commits war crimes and imposes collective punishments on the Palestinians. There is no reason to celebrate anything. Continue reading
Filed under: Anniversary, Anniversary Plans, Israel, Israel's 60th Anniversary, Israel's 60th Birthday, Israel's Birthday Plans, Israel@60, Italy, May, Palestine, Turin Book Fair, Who's Celebrating? | Tags: Aharon Shabtai
Peoples Geography: Having first indicated Egypt as their choice, organisers of the Turin Book Fair postponed having Egypt as their international Guest of Honour for 2009. One would consider that in 2008, inviting Palestine as Guest of Honour would have been inspired, a powerful symbolic gesture to a peoples who have not experienced any let-up in blocked efforts towards justice.
Instead, the organisers chose Israel as book fair guest this year. This decision is coupled with the choice of Israel as guest of honour for the Paris Book Fair and is ill-considered, coinciding as it does with the 60th Anniversary of the Naqba and the founding of the state of Israel, and at a time when the Israeli military occupation has only worsened.
Italian and international protests and calls for boycott have ensued, protesting the organisers decision that would serve to “commemorate” the Israeli occupation state and and its repressive policies in the OPT. The protest organisers are “appalled to see the world of culture take the side of those who methodically operate to annihilate Palestine and the Palestinians”.
One of the invited Israeli writers, poet Aaron Shabtai, applied his conscience when he rsvp’ed the organisers. Here is his note to Edna Degon of the organising committee (from Tlaxcala):
Dear Edna,
Thank you for your letter.
I do not believe that a State that maintains an occupation, committing on a daily basis crimes against civilians, deserves to be invited to any kind of cultural week. That is, it is anti-cultural; it is a barbarian act masked as culture in the most cynical way. It manifests support for Israel, and even to France that sustains the occupation. And I do not want to participate.
Kind regards,
Aharon Shabtai
7 December, 2007
Israel's 60th Birthday 