"I have never, ever called for Jews to be unsafe. Zionism is not a racial or religious identity, it is a political ideology. It is as absurd as saying that communists have the right to cultural safety or Islamism or white supremacy or misogyny."
"I have sat in rooms where people have said that ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is justified. I am entitled to say there should be no space for people to call for genocide."
The Adelaide festival board removed Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from the writers' week lineup, citing cultural sensitivity concerns after a review following the Bondi terror attack. The board said it did not suggest any connection between Abdel-Fattah and the December shooting that killed 15 people, and said the decision was made because of her past statements. Abdel-Fattah, a Palestinian Australian and critic of Israel, has faced criticism from conservative politicians, some Jewish bodies and media for comments about Zionism and cultural safety. She denied calling for Jews to be unsafe and defended criticism of Zionism as political. The removal prompted more than 180 speakers to boycott, nearly the entire board and the festival director to resign, and the 2026 writers' week to be cancelled. She also faced backlash for a social media post beginning "May 2025 be the end o..."
Read at www.theguardian.com
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