Sydney Writers’ Festival: Controversy erupts over author’s Israel comments

The Sydney Writers’ Festival has been condemned by Australia’s top Jewish body over plans to host a writer next month who has used derogatory terms to describe Israel.

The Sydney Writers’ Festival has been condemned by Australia’s top Jewish body over plans to host a writer next month who used the term “cancerous growth” when discussing Israel.

It comes after businesswoman Kathy Shand, who is Jewish, resigned as the event’s chair over concerns about “languages and conversations that compromise the festival” before the line-up was announced.

Raja Shehadeh, a Palestinian writer and activist, will appear on video in conversation with University of Sydney academic Abbas El-Zein for a talk called “Chronicling Palestine – The people and places of Palestine then and now” at Carriageworks on May 23.

Palestinian author Raja Shehadeh will speak via videolink in the Harbour City next month as part of the city’s writers’ festival.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim has taken issue with Mr Shehadeh’s invitation to the forum.

When discussing Israel, Mr Shehadeh once said: “People do not see Israel only as an occupier that controls certain aspects of their lives, but as a coloniser that is after their land, it feels like a cancerous growth that is eating up their body and making normal life impossible in every way”.

Mr Shehadeh is also the founder of Al-Haq, which is described by the writers’ festival as a “pioneering Palestinian human rights organisation”.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said the festival inviting Mr Shehadeh to speak is a “dubious choice”.

“He has used dehumanising language against an entire nation, Israel, by describing it as ‘cancerous’ and has engaged in victim-blaming by referring to the murderous terrorist attacks against Israel by Hamas on October 7 as a ‘chosen trauma’ for Israelis,” Mr Wertheim said.

“Australians have had to put up with more than enough of this kind of rhetoric for the last 18 months.

Sydney Writers’ Festival artistic director Ann Mossop claims the “cancerous growth” comment has been taken out of context.

Kathy Shand (R), who is Jewish, quit as chair of the writers’ festival over concerns in the direction of the festival earlier this year before the line-up was announced.

“It is pathetic that the Sydney Writers’ Festival can only offer us more of the same, when many Australians are crying out for fresh voices and a more inspiring message.”

Mr Shehadeh wrote October 7 has become for Israelis a “chosen trauma”, a term coined by a psychiatrist that he says means an “event that binds a community’s sense of itself together even as it can close off the possibility of healing and making peace”.

Mr Wertheim also criticised the festival describing Al-Haq in glowing terms.

“Al-Haq has not released financial details or donation amounts since 2009,” he said.

However, Sydney Writers’ Festival artistic director Ann Mossop said the event aims to provide a “platform for diverse voices”, noting several prominent Jewish people – such as former The Age editor Michael Gawenda – also feature on this year’s line-up.

Ms Mossop also claimed the Executive Council of Jewry had taken the “cancerous growth” comment out of context.

“Shehadeh’s writing reflects on the lived experience of Palestinians and the challenges to peace while recognising the humanity of all parties, the comments put forward appear to be out of context, Raja Shehadeh is critiquing the actions and policies of a state, this is not the same as racism, he also does not use the word ‘cancerous’ to refer to Israel,” Ms Mossop said.

Mr Shehadeh was contacted for comment.

Originally published as Sydney Writers’ Festival: Controversy erupts over author’s Israel comments