The relentless brutality of Israeli forces has reduced Gaza to a state of extreme humanitarian crisis. Catherine Russell, executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), reports that “the entire Palestinian population in northern Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine or ongoing bombardments by the Israeli military.”

With no sign of an end in sight and access to aid severely restricted, global support for Palestinians is crucial for encouraging leaders of the most powerful nations to act in every way they can to see this reality of horror come to an end. One thousand acclaimed publishing professionals and authors, including the author of “Normal People,” Sally Rooney, have demonstrated their stance of support for Palestine by signing a letter that pledges to boycott Israeli cultural institutions.

The Situation in Gaza

Palestinian rights are increasingly violated day by day as the conflict continues to escalate. Since the conflict began on 7 October 2023, more than 40,000 lives have been lost and a minimum of 97,000 civilians have been injured in Gaza. Intern physician Dr. Amira Qadeeh spoke with The New Humanitarian about the devastating impact of the conflict on those living through this nightmare.

Qadeeh expresses: “Before, I was in the safety and comfort of my home, leading a quiet life … and doing all the things that are normal for any human being. Now we need a miracle to get clean drinking water, enough healthy food, a blanket that warms us in the bitter cold and above all, safe shelter.” Urgent continued support for Palestine is crucial for the restoration of livelihood; however, with many companies, countries and institutions still profiting off this crisis, we are witnessing complicity that actively enables the bloodshed to persist.

Support for Palestine From Book Industry Figures

Rooney, Arundhati Roy and Rachel Kushner are just a few names among more than 1,000 signatories of the pledge to boycott Israeli cultural institutions that “are complicit or have remained silent observers of the overwhelming oppression of Palestinians.” Organized by the Palestine Festival of Literature, the boycott recognizes the existence of institutions profiting from others’ suffering. All those in favor of this campaign express that they will refuse to work with any Israeli publishers, festivals, literary agencies and publications that are complicit in the violation of Palestinian rights.

This also includes those operating “discriminatory policies and practices” or “whitewashing and justifying Israel’s occupation, apartheid or genocide.” Among others, Rooney’s support for Palestine has been unwavering, demonstrated through her history of openly advocating for Palestinian rights and refusing to “sell the Hebrew translation rights of her third novel, “Beautiful World, Where Are You,” to an Israeli publisher in 2021. 

The impact of well-known and loved book industry figures such as Rooney using their influence to speak out about the situation in Gaza, as well as calling for the boycott of institutions, is invaluable for generating as much public support for Palestinian rights as possible. Moreover, this high-profile boycott has the power to influence others and highlight companies and institutions that capitalize on the conflict in Gaza.

– Imogen Prince

Imogen is based in Oxford, UK and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr