Listen to the words

Israel is a rogue state but boycotting its writers seems futile:

Opening the Paris Book Fair should have been a low-key cultural event during the state visit to France of President Shimon Peres of Israel. Instead, it was charged with Middle East tensions.

Several Arab countries are boycotting the prestigious annual fair, where Peres was speaking Thursday, because it honors Israeli writers.

The Nobel Peace laureate’s appearance at the book fair comes near the end of his five-day state visit to France – a sign of President Nicolas Sarkozy’s effort to rebuild frayed ties with Israel.

Besides, the Arab countries have enough of their own human rights abuses to worry about.

Text and images ©2024 Antony Loewenstein. All rights reserved.

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