What has been happening in Gaza for the past two and a half years has divided the literary world in Germany. Some lament a “cowardly silence in the face of an ongoing genocide against the Palestinians”, whilst others criticise a “lack of solidarity with the State of Israel, which faces an existential threat”. At its core, this is not about the protection of Jewish life or the fight against anti-Semitism – both of which are undisputed in Germany – but about the view of Israel.
Is Israel seen as ‘the Jew among nations’, to which Germany owes unconditional solidarity out of a sense of historical responsibility? Is Israel simply a country that, like any other, must abide by international law? Or is Israel regarded as a state built on injustice which, in its current form as an ‘ethno-nationalist apartheid state’, can no longer be a close ally, particularly if one takes the lessons of the Holocaust seriously?
Authors, publishers, festivals and associations take a correspondingly diverse range of positions. Is there a need for clearer criticism of Israel, or for greater solidarity? Should German writers raise their voices to call for a “Never again for anyone, anywhere” based on German history, or to urge a special responsibility towards the Jewish state of Israel? Do they align their intellectual compass with international law or with the interests of the state? And why are Palestinian voices and those showing solidarity with Palestine so rarely heard, and in some cases discredited and defamed?
The lines have hardened; some speak of a culture war. Instead of discussing the facts on the ground and debating respectfully, people are making certain words taboo and focusing on themselves. They write open letters, withdraw from the scene, announce their resignation, cancel readings and award ceremonies, or call for boycotts.
The panel discusses why writers, of all people, are unable to resolve controversies through words, and what might help break this silence. What does the literary world need to do to reopen narrowed spaces for discourse and provide a social compass based on human rights, including on the subject of Israel and Palestine?
with Esther Dischereit, Tobias Haberkorn, Nora Haddada . Moderated by Kristin Helberg
https://www.leipziger-buchmesse.de/pco/de/buchmesse/6992da37f2bcc937970bd5e8
