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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To bin the latest Sally Rooney?

202 replies

JumperandJacket · 12/10/2021 09:53

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.

OP posts:
Scirocco · 13/10/2021 11:03

IMO, it's not anti-Semitic to object to actions taken by a country where those actions are widely considered to be morally and legally wrong. It would be anti-Semitic to blame Judaism for it, though, or to take an objection and use it to persecute or stereotype Jewish people.

Sally Rooney is entitled to say she doesn't want her work associated with a company that is based in and is supportive of the actions of a country, when the actions of that country go against her own values and her views on a situation.

On a larger scale, business boycotts have been used for years to show disagreement with the views/approaches of companies or governments (eg. South Africa). This isn't a new thing or something specifically happening against one country/government but not others.

TrishM80 · 13/10/2021 12:18

OP, you're misrepresenting her position. She hasn't "banned" the translation of her book into Hebrew, just that she's not going to use an Israeli-based publishing house to do it while the current situation persists in Israel and the Occupied Territories.

sunshinesupermum · 13/10/2021 12:23

On a larger scale, business boycotts have been used for years to show disagreement with the views/approaches of companies or governments (eg. South Africa). This isn't a new thing or something specifically happening against one country/government but not others.

Scirocco Rooney has singled out an Israeli publisher (who published her first two novels) and not China (for its treatment of Urghar Muslims and others), not even Lebanon who still keeps Palestinian refugees in camps.

Israel is a Jewish state, therefore to hold its whole people guilty because of their government actions IS aantisemitic. I don't support the British or American Government's actions but it doesn't make me anti British or anti American.

TrishM80 · 13/10/2021 12:29

Interesting to see Sally Rooney's Irishness being included in the debate. I wonder what Roger Waters' anti-Israeli stance is put down to, he's English after all!

Helendee · 13/10/2021 12:34

What a terrible loss for Hebrew speaking people!
She’s doing them a favour by depriving them of her tedious bilge.

IsleofRum · 13/10/2021 13:20

But happy to work with Chinese publishers and printers. Whose government has a wonderful.human rights record.....

Scirocco · 13/10/2021 13:43

@sunshinesupermum is it anti-Semitic then, to object to the oppression of Palestinian people by the Israeli government? The people of Palestine have been stripped of their rights, evicted from their homes, systematically abused and killed. This shouldn't be condoned.

Similarly, other countries around the world have or have had appalling records on human rights. They should be held to account for their actions too. I just don't think a country or government should be exempt from criticism because of the country's state religion. Criticising a government's actions is not the same as condemning a religion.

Tillysfad · 13/10/2021 13:45

Israel is a Jewish state, therefore to hold its whole people guilty because of their government actions IS aantisemitic.

Steady on. She's not a judge holding 'them' guilty. She's done nothing to suggest she's trying to hold a nation guilty.

If I had a way to object to the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians I would take it with both hands. The idea that it should get a free pass on human rights violations is very bad indeed. If she'd done this with a Chinese publishing house we would have been pleased. That's the double standard.

Brainwave89 · 13/10/2021 14:22

Firstly on the book. I am only 150 pages in and I have found it really good. As were conversations with friends and normal people. On her refusing to allow a Hebrew translation, this is her view to take. Personally I see fault on both sides of the Israel/Palestine conflict, but I will certainly be finishing the book.

Porcupineintherough · 13/10/2021 14:23

@Tillysfad Israel is a democracy, therefore there is some relationship between what the government do and the culpability of the population as to what is done in their name. Im pretty sure that the treatment of Palestinian people isnt a secret in Israel, in fact Im sure its a pretty contentious topic. So the parallels being drawn w South Africa in the 1980s are fair ones - not every South African (even every white one) supported apartheid but the society as a whole was fair game for criticism and boycotting products and services was a legitimate form of protest against the regime.

KeflavikAirport · 13/10/2021 14:51

Iran, China et al would probably just pirate a translation rather than buy the rights anyway.

Fraine · 13/10/2021 14:51

@sunshinesupermum

On a larger scale, business boycotts have been used for years to show disagreement with the views/approaches of companies or governments (eg. South Africa). This isn't a new thing or something specifically happening against one country/government but not others.

Scirocco Rooney has singled out an Israeli publisher (who published her first two novels) and not China (for its treatment of Urghar Muslims and others), not even Lebanon who still keeps Palestinian refugees in camps.

Israel is a Jewish state, therefore to hold its whole people guilty because of their government actions IS aantisemitic. I don't support the British or American Government's actions but it doesn't make me anti British or anti American.

What a load of crap.
Tillysfad · 13/10/2021 15:32

14:23Porcupineintherough

I don't think you meant to direct that to me.

JaneJeffer · 13/10/2021 15:43

Fair play to her.

NobbyButtons · 13/10/2021 16:26

She was happy for Modan to translate her two previous books, which are still for sale in Israel. However, she doesn't want to sell them the rights for her latest novel - despite apparently having supported BDS since she was at university.

Anshel Pfeffer has written a good thread on this, stating that "there’s no such thing as a “BDS-compliant” Hebrew publisher. To be that, a publisher would have to agree to not selling its books in Israel and to Israelis who are is the overwhelming majority of the Hebrew-reading market."

TheKeatingFive · 13/10/2021 16:38

She was happy for Modan to translate her two previous books

I don't see any problem with this. She's allowed to change her mind and evolve her position.

NobbyButtons · 13/10/2021 16:42

@TheKeatingFive

She was happy for Modan to translate her two previous books

I don't see any problem with this. She's allowed to change her mind and evolve her position.

Yes, but I read that she's supported BDS since she was at university, so for the past 10 years or so - it's not a new thing.
TheKeatingFive · 13/10/2021 16:47

Yes, but I read that she's supported BDS since she was at university, so for the past 10 years or so - it's not a new thing.

So?

Maybe it's become more important to her, or she decided to take more practical action.

I don't understand this view that people's moral/political views and how they act on them should stay static.

NatriumChloride · 14/10/2021 00:17

@TheKeatingFive

Yes, but I read that she's supported BDS since she was at university, so for the past 10 years or so - it's not a new thing.

So?

Maybe it's become more important to her, or she decided to take more practical action.

I don't understand this view that people's moral/political views and how they act on them should stay static.

Exactly, especially with recent waves of atrocities against Palestinian people. One can re-evaluate their position at any time.
PassTheButter · 14/10/2021 08:44

@sunshinesupermum

On a larger scale, business boycotts have been used for years to show disagreement with the views/approaches of companies or governments (eg. South Africa). This isn't a new thing or something specifically happening against one country/government but not others.

Scirocco Rooney has singled out an Israeli publisher (who published her first two novels) and not China (for its treatment of Urghar Muslims and others), not even Lebanon who still keeps Palestinian refugees in camps.

Israel is a Jewish state, therefore to hold its whole people guilty because of their government actions IS aantisemitic. I don't support the British or American Government's actions but it doesn't make me anti British or anti American.

So to hold for example Saudi Arabia accountable for its actions is to be anti-Islam? Israel being the only Jewish state doesn’t make actions against its government synonymous with anti sémitism.

Also she’s clearly responding to why she’s not working with this particular publisher. You don’t know her opinion on the other states because that’s not what the statement is about. She might also reject a Chinese publisher - if one approached her - and might not even make a public statement about it!

NatriumChloride · 14/10/2021 10:12

Wow, what an ignorant comment. Do you have any idea how the state of Israel was created? Do you have any knowledge of the history of Palestine? Just do a quick Google and some reading, instead of spouting nonsense about a promised land, as if that is some sort of justification for the atrocities that the Israeli government commits regularly.

Bloodybridget · 14/10/2021 10:47

Saying that there is far more widespread and organised campaigning about Israel's treatment of Palestinians than about any other state which commits human rights abuses, and that this is definitely linked to anti-semitism, is not "whataboutery" as a poster upthread said. That's insultingly dismissive.

Porcupineintherough · 14/10/2021 10:55

@Bloodybridgetdo you mean in the UK, or internationally? If the latter, let's see some figures. If the former I suspect that that is because there is a certain amount of residual guilt in the UK over its role in what's transpired (both in handing the land over and in creating the conditions in which the formation of a Jewish homeland was necessary). I dont think we feel the same culpability for the Chinese invasion of Tibet fi - although there has been a lot of international protest over that over in the past. And I do remember the same claims of national victimisation coming out of SA years ago.

Tillysfad · 14/10/2021 13:53

Seems a bit ridiculous to try and make the Israeli government out to be a victim because their human rights abuses and atrocities aren't overlooked.

Any fool knows the world is interested partly because it's a mess the colonial powers made, partly because Israel is Our Man out there.

Tillysfad · 14/10/2021 13:54

Be colonial I mean imperial and ignorant, not actually colonial...

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