Readers letters: Adelaide Writers Week
March 3, 2023 by J-Wire Staff
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There’s a huge difference between free speech and hate speech, or speech inciting violence. How can the daughter of Holocaust survivors not know this?
Robyn Manoy
Sydney
Yes, “a civil conversation in a garden about books” is a wonderful thing, and what the AWF has always been about, with many controversial and diverse opinions expressed and discussed very civilly.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT THAT. Adler says: “I’m not running a political festival here, I’m running a literary festival” but her actions in inviting 15 Arab writers (all of whom talk of the Palestinian issues ), including 2 who spout hate speech, including the old blood libel and calls for the destruction of Israel, and devoting an entire day of the festival to their talks and without inviting any Jewish Israeli writers whatsoever – this is political and divisive and causing conflict and dismay among many of us. THIS IS NOT ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Hate speech is not permitted in our country and that is what this is.
We seriously considered boycotting the festival, but we have been going for many years and we refuse to punish ourselves by not attending. We will certainly use “our democratic prerogative” to quote Adler to not attend these events.
Your article https://www.jwire.com.au/festival-boss-stares-down-author-sponsor-cancellations/ does not explore these issues despite quoting some of the comments by these 2 most controversial speakers.
Suzanne Wolf
Readers’ letters welcomed: Send to: letters@jwire.com.au. Please advise us of your name and suburb.
Louise Adler has form with her anti Israel activism ,She published notorious Jewish anti Zionist activist Antony Loewesteins anti Israel book My Israel Question at the Al ,Age writers festival and supported him on stage in front t of a packed anti Israel left wing audience .I was there to witness Loewe stein backed up by far left wing barristers Robert Richter and Julian Burnside rip into israel it was pathetic and sad