To bin the latest Sally Rooney?

[JumperandJacket]

Genuinely shocked by the news she has banned the translation of her book into Hebrew. I can see no reading of this that isn’t straightforward antisemitism. She may claim it’s a protest against the Israeli government but to equate Hebrew speakers with the government of Israel is in itself deeply racist. The only other writer I know of to have done this is Icke-fancier, Alice Walker.

Plus the book is boring as shit.

According to the article in The Guardian, she sold the publishing rights to Modan for her first two books.
I wonder if her opinions on Israel and Palestine have been formed recently.
Interesting that such a strong stance wasn’t taken before acquiring significant fame and fortune.

She refused to work with a certain publisher... I dont think she refused to have her book translated into hebrew? Thats probably just a side effect of refusing to work with that publisher. Shes being unfairly demonised imo. Some people have distorted the facts here to make it appear a certain way. Her motivation was not that she didn't want any Hebrew readers... she did not wish to work with a certain Israeli publisher who she viewed as being in support of the Israeli government's treatment of Palestine. That isnt antisemetic its political.

She has stated that she doesn’t want to work with any Israeli based publisher.

It's really tiresome when apparently if you deplore the actions of successive Israeli governments, you are deemed anti-semitic to the entire global Jewish population.

“The Hebrew-language translation rights to my new novel are still available, and if I can find a way to sell these rights that is compliant with the BDS movement’s institutional boycott guidelines, I will be very pleased and proud to do so. In the meantime I would like to express once again my solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality”

Quote in the Guardian

Also Alice Walker did the same years ago, how do you suggest a writer protests?

It's not anti-semitism, it's a cultural boycott.

The cultural boycott was called for in response to the active involvement of Israeli cultural institutions in maintaining and whitewashing Israel's occupation, colonisation and apartheid of Palestine.

I’ve read it as I liked the first two and OMG it’s dreary. Bin it for that reason alone

@UmpteenthTime
She has stated that she doesn’t want to work with any Israeli based publisher.

Good for her.

As long as she has also refused to have her work translated into Arabic so as to boycott the likes of the Iranian government

How would she be boycotting the Iranian govt by not having her book translated into a language not spoken in Iran?

@ElspethFlashman

It's really tiresome when apparently if you deplore the actions of successive Israeli governments, you are deemed anti-semitic to the entire global Jewish population.

It's any publisher based in Israel that she objects to, not the Israeli government. What flips it from political protest into racism is that she is boycotting the entire country rather than assessing individual firms on their own merits.

@mrex has it.

The language of publication is a red herring. It's the location of the publishers that is an issue for her.

If she'd demonstrated that she had stopped the publication of her book by publishers based in countries such as China, Iran, Pakistan, UAE, etc., etc., etc. then I would respect her decision. Otherwise, she's just being anti-Semitic. And I believe that those of you who don't realise this are being naïve and/or deliberately obtuse.

@sashh

“The Hebrew-language translation rights to my new novel are still available, and if I can find a way to sell these rights that is compliant with the BDS movement’s institutional boycott guidelines, I will be very pleased and proud to do so. In the meantime I would like to express once again my solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for freedom, justice and equality”

Quote in the Guardian

Also Alice Walker did the same years ago, how do you suggest a writer protests?

You might want to read up on Alice Walker before you bring her up in defence of Sally Rooney.

She is an absolute virtue-signalling embarrassment, and a terrible author.

Israel isn't missing much by not having her dirge translated into Hebrew.

Pathetic virtue signalling from a very overrated writer. As noted by others, she's very selective in her objections. Still, to the extent that it may spare some people from her utterly boring writing the boycott should be welcomed. In fact I recommend she boycotts more!

@ElspethFlashman

It's really tiresome when apparently if you deplore the actions of successive Israeli governments, you are deemed anti-semitic to the entire global Jewish population.

That's not the case at all. Why are you perpetuating untruths like this?

@NotLettingItSlide

As long as she has also refused to have her work translated into Arabic so as to boycott the likes of the Iranian government, or Cantonese/Mandarin to boycott the CCP, or even Cyrillic/Russian or Hungarian as a stand against Putin and Orban respectively*, then her actions cannot be regarded as antisemitic. If, on the other hand, she chooses to boycott Israel and only Israel, then yes; it is antisemitism.

This is in accordance with the guidelines set by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance - the official version of antisemitism, if you will. I think we can assume that the IHRA are the best authority on what constitutes antisemitism and what does not. More so than the average Mumsnet poster browsing AIBU.

For what it's worth, I don't know enough about Ms Rooney to say either way, but I do know about the official guidelines adopted by most nations, political parties and institutions worldwide.

*These are just examples I could come up with off the top of my head. I'm certain that many people could think of better ones.

Making no comment on Rooney.

But you do know they don't speak Arabic in Iran right?

Well its already been suggested on this thread that criticism of Israel is anti-semitic unless one also and simultaneously critises a whole list of other countries for human rights offences. A splendid piece of whataboutry.

Agree this is a terrible thing and has put me right off her. TBH I wasn't that keen before.

I've been given her latest book but haven't yet summoned the energy to read it.

She’s Irish. Irish people support the rights of the Palestinian people and are against the human rights abuses committed against them by the state of Israel. Having been an occupied state ourselves we have understanding for those in the same situation.

@Littleheart5

She’s Irish. Irish people support the rights of the Palestinian people and are against the human rights abuses committed against them by the state of Israel. Having been an occupied state ourselves we have understanding for those in the same situation.

Absolutely this.

She didn't want to work with a particular publisher, not gone on an antisemitic angle suddenly - she has been royally fucked over by people sharing incorrect facts, and is owed an apology.

It sounded like this from the news story I heard on the radio this morning - it was just this publisher - but immediately one of the presenters suggested it was a move againt all Herbrew readers and I thought then oh - she'll be branded anti-Semitic by the end of the day.

I know nothing about this writer or her poltics but it was so clear whatever her intensions this was where the media story was heading.

I'm not reading it until she also refuses to have the book translated or sold in other countries that have awful human rights issues. I find it hypocritical to refuse to have anything to do with Israel yet not call out China for its appalling treatment of the Uigur people or various countries re the treatment of Kurdish people or in fact lots of others.
And yes, I do consider it as anti-Semitic when Israel is the only Jewish country on Earth and is so often treated this way when other countries do all sorts of abuse and no-one says a thing.

@Littleheart5

She’s Irish. Irish people support the rights of the Palestinian people and are against the human rights abuses committed against them by the state of Israel. Having been an occupied state ourselves we have understanding for those in the same situation.

Thank you for this, I started trying to type something similar but couldn't phrase it as well

Good for her. Not a big fan, but I will buy a copy of the book now!

She's hardly denying drinking water. It's her book. With something that matters so little but is her own work, I think she can use it to make a statement if she wants to. I'm unclear about how she could do anything at all that would be more specific (ie towards the Israeli government). It's not as if they're expecting free editions and she can make her point by saying 'no you're not getting one!'. Her problem with the injustices carried out by the Israeli government is after all very valid and the resultant suffering seems never ending. That concerns me more than who gets a copy of her book.