Mayim Bialik, Gene Simmons, More Reject Israel Literary Boycott

Sherry Lansing, Mayim BialikDebra Messing, David Mamet, Gene SimmonsOzzy and Sharon Osbourne and Scooter Braun are among the high-profile figures in the entertainment industry who have added their names to a counter-petition organized by Creative Community for Peace in response to a letter published earlier this week requesting a boycott of “Israeli cultural institutions who are complicit or have remained silent observers of the overwhelming oppression of Palestinians”.

The original open letter, which refers to Israel-Gaza conflict as “genocide”, it has as signatories over 1,000 writers, incl Normal people author Sally Rooney, Naomi Klein, Rachel Kushner, Annie Ernaux, Percival Everett and Jonathan Lethem.

The counter-petition “rejects calls to boycott Israel and writers, publishers, authors, book festivals and literary agencies, along with those who support, work with or provide platforms for them” and claims that “The instincts and motivations behind cultural boycotts, in practice and throughout history, are in direct opposition to the liberal values ​​that most writers hold sacred.”

Other Hollywood celebrities who signed the counter petition include Julianna Margulies, Jerry O’Connell, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, Haim Saban, Endeavor co-founder Rick Rosen, Jenji Kohan, Diane Warren, Rebecca De Mornay, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Amy Sherman. Palladino, Gail Simmons, and Ben Silverman.

“Excluding anyone who does not unilaterally condemn Israel is an inversion of morality and an obfuscation of reality,” the counter-petition reads. “History is replete with examples of self-righteous sects, movements and cults that used brief moments of power to impose their vision of purity, to persecute, exclude, boycott and intimidate those with whom they disagreed , who made lists of people. with “evil” views, which burned “sinners” book (and sometimes ‘sinful’ people).”

The letter later adds: “Regardless of one’s views on the current conflict, boycotts of creators and creative institutions simply create more division and fuel even more hatred. We call on our friends and colleagues around the world to join us in expressing support for Israeli and Jewish publishers, authors, and all book festivals, publishers, and literary agencies that refuse to capitulate to censorship based on identity tests or litmus.”

In a statement accompanying the launch of the counter-petition, Bialik says: “Harassing authors, canceling bookstore appearances, and boycotting people based solely on their identity is disturbing and polarizing in ways that cannot be dismissed or minimized. Attempts to dictate “who” or “what” should be published have nothing to do with any way of coexistence or peace. This kind of rhetoric encourages demonization and hatred. As an author and as a creative, I believe in peace, I believe in humanity, and I believe in meaningful discourse. Silencing and sowing discord in this way reduces complex individuals to oversimplified caricatures, which only reinforces existing hostility and removes hope for peace.”

The original open letter, calling for a boycott, said participating authors would not cooperate with Israeli institutions, including publishing houses, festivals, literary agencies and publications that are “complicit in the violation of Palestinian rights” or that have not publicly expressed support for “the rights inalienable”. of the Palestinian people as enshrined in international justice.”

The letter continues: “To work with these institutions is to harm the Palestinians, and therefore we call on our fellow writers, translators, illustrators and bookmakers to join us in this commitment. We call on our editors, publishers and agents to join us in taking a stand, to recognize our own involvement, our own moral responsibility, and to cease involvement with the Israeli state and complicit Israeli institutions.”

No specific organization was named in the boycott letter organized by a number of groupsincluding the Palestine Literature Festival, Publishers for Palestine and Writers Against the War on Gaza.