Defenders of Free Speech Contradict Themselves

Anyone who values freedom of expression should recoil at attempts to suppress ideas of a particular group of people based on identity. Yet, this is precisely what is being promoted, ironically, by those who claim to be protectors of free speech and diversity. In late October, a large number of authors and literary professionals signed a pledge to boycott Israeli cultural institutions, authors, and publishers. This was just the latest in a series of efforts to silence Israeli and Jewish authors who are increasingly being disinvited from literary events and festivals and are being firebombed with negative reviews.

In response, another large constituency of authors and members of the entertainment community signed a letter to counter such dangerous boycotts. They wrote: “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.  Regardless of one’s views of the current conflict, boycotts of creatives and creative institutions simply create more divisiveness and foment further hatred.” Yet, boycotts continue, and they are not just targeted at authors who write sympathetically about Israel but at Jews and those friendly to Jews who write on a variety of non-related topics but who happen to believe in Israel’s right to exist.

I recently read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, a fascinating novel about a fictional Hollywood personality who married seven men, loosely based on the real lives of popular actresses. Alas, the author had once posted a photo of the father of a young woman taken hostage in the Hamas terror attack on October 7, saying that she yearned for peace. That was enough to boycott her book. Such action has a name. It is called antisemitism.

Another book I enjoyed, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, listed by the New York Times as one of the 100 Best Books of the 21^st Century, was targeted. This past summer her book was removed from a Chicago bookstore poll for a September book club selection because someone complained that Zevin is a Zionist. The fact is that Zevin has not written about Israel, yet she was included on a boycott list of Zionist authors. Her book is about gaming and happens to have an Israeli character. The boycott of her book has a name. It is antisemitism.

An authors’ panel in Albany, New York was canceled when two of the authors objected to the moderator who was identified as a Zionist.  The panel was about girls coming of age.

The CEO of PEN America, Suzanne Nossel, who is Jewish, is stepping down from her position despite the significant growth of the organization under her leadership. She will be heading Freedom House, a nonprofit which advocates for democracy, political freedom. and human rights. Nossel was criticized for her “longstanding commitments to Zionism, Islamophobia, and imperial wars in the Middle East.” PEN America was created over 100 years ago to ensure that “people have the freedom to create literature… to express their views and access the views, ideas and literatures of others.” It has expressed support for Palestinian journalists, authors, poets, and artists, while affirming that the demand to cancel Israeli and Jewish authors is an effort “to foreclose dialogue in the name of intellectual conformity.” This was insufficient for PEN America’s critics.

Tragically, many in the literary world believe that freedom of expression does not apply to Israeli authors or Jewish writers who support Israel. Contradicting their professed commitment to the freedom to publish, they claim a “moral” obligation to ban Israeli and Jewish authors presumed to be Zionist and cancel literary festivals which invite the participation of these writers, discouraging readers from purchasing their books.

Imagine if we were to boycott other authors because of their race, religion, culture, or identity. Reading is meant to open minds, not close them. Exposing ourselves to different peoples, ideas, perspectives, broadens our world view and provides the content and context to have informed and challenging conversations.

It should worry us when the literary community seeks to cancel books and authors because they are Jewish and sympathetic to Israel. We have a name for that: It is antisemitism. Books by Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud were banned and burned in Germany because they were Jews. Those who would participate in such repression today should be careful.  You don’t know who will be next and who will be left to protect you.