Gulf writers to boycott UAE literature festival over Israel normalisation deal
Gulf writers to boycott UAE literature festival over Israel normalisation deal
A number of intellectuals from several Gulf counties will boycott a UAE-held literature festival taking place next February, to protest the state's normalisation deal with Israel.
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The UAE and Israel struck a normalisation deal in August 2020 [AFP]
A number ofGulf intellectualshave announced they willa UAE literature festival taking place in February due to Abu Dhabi's normalisation with Israel.
The Gulf Coalition Against Normalisation said that the Omani writer Bushra Khalfan, and Kuwaiti writers Mona Al-Shamri, Ahmed Al-Zamam and Ali Ashour, decided to the Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature.
The list of invitees included writers, academics, and intellectuals from a number of Arab countries.
"من يتخلى عن فلسطين اليوم، سيتخلى عن بلاده غداً"
— مقاطعة (@Boycott4Pal)
الروائية العمانية بشرى خلفان ترد على خطاب التطبيع الذي يتجاهل القضة الفلسطينية ويتعامى عن المظلومية التاريخية للشعب الفلسطيني، خلال لقاء حواري نظمه ائتلاف الخليج ضد التطبيع.
The Gulf Coalition Against Normalisation has called on otherwriters from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman - countries which have not normalised tieswith Israel - to from the event.
Israel and the UAE struck a deal in August 2020 with Bahrain, , and following suit shortly after.
The accords sparked angry protests among pro-Palestine activists and the Arab public.
Since the establishment of the, the UAE has signed a number of military,economic and cultural with Israel.
