Debra Messing, David Mamet and Diane Warren are among the more than 1000 literary and entertainment industry figures to sign an open letter released by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) to oppose the boycott of Israeli publishing houses and Jewish authors Wednesday.
Signatories also include “Jack Reacher” creator Lee Child, authors Bernard Henri-Lévy, Harlan Coben, Howard Jacobson, Herta Müller and Howard Jacobson as well as Mayim Bialik, Julianna Margulies, Scooter Braun, Gene Simmons, and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.
“Art is the antithesis to a political party. It is a meeting place not an echo chamber,” Jacobson said in a statement. “Art explores, discovers, differs, questions and surprises. Precisely where a door should be forever open, the boycotters slam it closed.”
The letter was written in response to “calls to boycott Israeli literary institutions follow a year filled with efforts to demonize and ostracize Jewish authors across the globe,” CCFP explained. “In the last year, bookstore appearances have been canceled based on authors’ identities and book readings have been shut down. Activists have publicized lists of ‘Zionist’ authors to harass and just last week, ads for a book with ‘Israel’ in the title were rejected.”
The letter reads in full:
“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.”
“The exclusion of anyone who doesn’t unilaterally condemn Israel is an inversion of morality and an obfuscation of reality.”
“History is full of examples of self-righteous sects, movements and cults who have used short-lived moments of power to enforce their vision of purity, to persecute, exclude, boycott and intimidate those with whom they disagreed, who made lists of people with ‘bad’ views, who burned ‘sinful’ books (and sometimes ‘sinful’ people).”
“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 believe that anyone who works to subvert this spirit merely adds yet another roadblock to freedom, justice, equality, and peace that we all desperately desire.”
“Regardless of one’s views on the current conflict, boycotts of creatives and creative institutions simply create more divisiveness and foment further hatred.”
“We call on our friends and colleagues worldwide to join us in expressing their support for Israeli and Jewish publishers, authors, and all book festivals, publishers, and literary agencies that refuse to capitulate to censorship based on identity or litmus tests.”