‘Artwashing’ to obscure systemic injustices: authors against Israeli cultural institutions

Sally Rooney, Jhumpa Lahiri, Arundhati Roy, Susan Abulhawa, and Ocean Vuong are among the hundreds of writers who have united to boycott Israeli cultural institutions, calling the situation in Gaza a genocide and highlighting these institutions' roles in "obfuscating, disguising, and artwashing" the dispossession and oppression of millions of Palestinians for decades.

The signatories, who span diverse cultural backgrounds and represent influential voices in global literature, are calling on the literary community to stand against what they describe as a "genocide" against Palestinians. Their protest aims to sever ties with Israeli cultural institutions perceived as complicit in concealing the long-term suffering and displacement of Palestinians, particularly through various forms of cultural engagement.

“We, as writers, publishers, literary festival workers, and other book workers, publish this letter as we face the most profound moral, political and cultural crisis of the 21st century,” begins the statement, which goes on to say that Israel has killed “at the very least 43,362” Palestinians in Gaza since last October and that this follows “75 years of displacement, ethnic cleansing and apartheid”.

The letter argues that Israeli cultural institutions have played a significant role in masking the oppression of Palestinians, contributing to what the authors call "artwashing"—the use of cultural projects to obscure systemic injustices.

According to the writers, Israel’s actions, especially in Gaza, represent a humanitarian crisis, with infrastructure destroyed and thousands of lives lost, including many children. Highlighting the scale and impact of the violence, the authors contend that the cultural sector must assume responsibility and refuse cooperation with institutions seen as enabling or disregarding these acts.

The writers behind the letter have notable accolades, including prestigious awards like the Booker Prize, Pulitzer Prize, and Women’s Prize for Fiction, underscoring the weight of their stance. They are urging fellow authors, translators, publishers, and those involved in literary festivals and agencies to join them in rejecting any collaboration with entities that, in their view, support or ignore the ongoing oppression of Palestinians. The letter appeals to the literary community to boycott publishers, festivals, and agencies tied to Israeli cultural structures that, either through action or silence, align with policies seen as perpetuating discrimination, apartheid, or ethnic displacement.

This literary coalition emphasises the need for moral accountability in the face of what they consider to be one of the century's gravest crises, equating their call to action with historical boycotts against apartheid in South Africa.

By standing firm in their boycott, the authors seek to exert pressure on Israel’s cultural institutions, hoping to spark broader awareness and solidarity within the international literary community.