Mayim Bialik, Gene Simmons and many others reject literary boycott of Israel

Sherry Lansing, Mayim Bialik, Debra Messing, David Mamet, Gene Simmons, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, and Scooter Braun are among the well-known entertainment industry figures who have added their names to the counter-petition. organized Creative Community for Peace is responding to a letter published earlier this week calling for a boycott of “Israeli cultural institutions that are complicit or silent observers of the overwhelming oppression of Palestinians.”

The initial open letter calling the conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip a “genocide” has more than 1,000 signatures, including Normal people by Sally Rooney, Naomi Klein, Rachel Kushner, Annie Erno, Percival Everett and Jonathan Lethem.

The counter-petition “rejects calls for a boycott of Israel and Jewish writers, publishers, authors, book festivals and literary agencies, as well as those who support, work with or support them” and argues that “The instincts and motives of cultural boycotts, in practice and throughout history, are in direct conflict with the liberal values ​​that most writers hold sacred.”

Other Hollywood figures who signed the counter petition include Julianna Margulies, Jerry O’Connell, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreutz, 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 a clouding of reality,” the counter-petition states. “History is replete with examples of self-righteous sects, movements and cults who used short-lived moments of power to impose their vision of purity, to persecute, exclude, boycott and intimidate those with whom they disagreed, who compiled lists of people with “bad” views that burned “sinful” books (and sometimes “sinful” people).”

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

In a statement accompanying the release of a counter-petition, Bialik states: “Harnessing authors, canceling bookstore appearances, and boycotting people solely based on their identity is causing anxiety and polarization that cannot be ignored or minimized. Trying to dictate “who” or “what” should be published has nothing to do with any path to coexistence or peace. Such rhetoric encourages demonization and hatred. As an author and creative person, I believe in peace, I believe in humanity, and I believe in meaningful discourse. Silencing and sowing discord in this way turns complex people into simplistic caricatures that only deepen existing hostilities and push hopes for peace inches further away.”

The initial open letter calling for the boycott states that participating authors will not collaborate with Israeli institutions, including publishers, festivals, literary agencies and publications, that are “complicit in the violation of Palestinian rights” or that have failed to publicly express support for “inalienable rights.” . Palestinian people as enshrined in international law.”

The letter continues: “Working with these institutions means harming the Palestinians, and so we call on our fellow writers, translators, illustrators and scribes to join us in this pledge. We call on our publishers, editors and agents to join us in taking a stand, recognizing our own complicity, our own moral responsibility, and ceasing to engage with the Israeli state and complicit Israeli institutions.”

The boycott letter did not name specific organizations. organized by a number of groupsincluding the Palestine Literature Festival, Publishing for Palestine, and Writers Against the Gaza War.