November 8, 2023 

On October 7, 2023, Hamas, a terrorist and antisemitic organization that governs Gaza and is funded by Iran, launched a horrific rampage of murders, rapes, and kidnapping of Israeli civilians, and potentially sparked a region-wide war. Hamas’ attack, which some legal scholars argue is a war crime and crime against humanity, is one example of an increasingly common and dangerous global antisemitism. Antisemitism is a conspiracy theory that attributes to Jews powers and networks that harm humanity. Antisemitism spans the political spectrum from far-right to far-left and is often expressed or masked as anti-Israel sentiment. The ADL’s Antisemitic Attitudes in America: Topline Findings revealed that a nearly 40% correlation exists between anti-Jewish tropes and anti-Israel beliefs. Antisemitic attitudes have long been at significant levels around the world, despite the estimated 16 million Jews, nearly half of whom live in Israel, composing less than .2% of the world’s population. Following October 7th, antisemitic incidents spiked by 388% in the U.S.; major rises occurred internationally.

The multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi- (and non-) denominational religiously and politically diverse Jewish community holds a wide variety of opinions on Israel, Palestinian autonomy, the Arab - Israeli conflict, and related issues. Yet the vast majority of Jews in Israel and throughout the diaspora agree: Like all nations Israel is subject to legitimate criticism but should not be the target of antisemitic charges. Like all people, Jews have the right to live without fear.

As writers, editors, scholars, journalists, and readers, as Jews and allies, we support Israel’s right to exist and the right of Jews to live in their ancestral homeland and form a government there. We recognize the aspirations of Palestinians for their own homeland and hope that one day, both peoples can coexist in peace. We are grateful for the many instances when our colleagues have been allies against antisemitism. Yet over the last several years – and with an uptick following Hamas’ October 7 attack - we have seen members of the literary community demonize Israel, and silence, exclude, and censor Jewish and Israeli authors whose perspectives may not have adhered to dominant narratives within literary and literary-adjacent environments.

A few examples:

• Jewish and Israeli authors reported being pelted with one-star Goodreads “reviews” before their books came out and other online bullying due to Jewish and Israeli content, or having their books pulped by their publishers after criticism on social media by some who had not read the book.
• Some authors refused to have their novels translated into Hebrew unless it could be done in a way that satisfied the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
• Jewish members of Binders groups (Facebook groups for women in the publishing world) reported being banned, muted, or harassed following 2021’s Operation Guardian of the Walls, which began when Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) launched what would be 4,300 missiles and rockets over an eleven-day period into Israel.
• Literary conferences and festivals have featured explicitly antisemitic speakers, and authors have called for rejecting Israeli support of conferences.
• After Hamas’ October 2023 pogrom against Israeli civilians, condemned by both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, some members of the literary community described raping women, murdering families, and taking hostages as “resistance” and called for boycotting “Zionist literary institutions,” including PEN America, Best American Poetry, and Harper’s Bazaar, among others.

Central to Jewish thinking is machloket l’shem shamayim (“an argument for the sake of heaven”), which respects the right to differing perspectives, and encourages debate that criticizes ideas while never demeaning the speaker. We oppose discrimination and hate speech against any people. In the spirit of machloket l’shem shamayim, we call on lovers of the written word to promote an informed, nuanced understanding of Israel and the Middle East, thereby reducing dangers of a rising antisemitism.

For a list of articles and other resources, please visit “After October 7: Readings, Recordings, and Resources,” curated by Erika Dreifus.

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Adrienne Ross Scanlan, Writer & Editor
Rebecca Klempner, Writer & Editor
Erika Dreifus, Writer
Edie Jarolim, Freelance Writer / Editor
Carol L. Skolnick, Writer & Editor
Danielle Solzman, Writer
Marlaina Cockcroft, Writer & Reader
Elka Weber, Writer
Jessamyn Hope, Writer
Janice Weizman, Writer
Ondine Sherman, Writer
Miryam Sivan, Writer
Jennifer Lang, Writer & Teacher
Caroline Igra, Writer & Scholar
Michal Cooper Keren, Screenwriter
Julie Zuckerman, Writer
Yael Levy, Writer
Ruth Knafo Setton, Writer & Educator
Anna Levine, Author
Rebecca Kanner, Writer
Lea Eizik, Reader
Cindy Rizzo, Writer
Linda Elovitz Marshall, Writer
Suzanne Balaban, Publicist & Literary Agent
Kelly Hartog, Writer & Editor
Lisa Solod, Writer
Sarah Pachter, Author & Speaker
Heidi Rabinowitz, Librarian
Katie Snyder, Writer
Doreen Klein Robinson, Writer & Editor
Tamar Lea Hazout, Writer
Jess Burnquist, Writer & Nonprofit Leader
Mary Cantrell, Writer & Teacher
Jane Kohuth, Writer & Educator
Gila Green, Author & Editor
Brynn Olenberg Sugarman, Writer
Erica Cohen Lyons, Writer
Judy Lev, Writer
Biljana Albahari, Librarian
Dara Horn, Writer
Ann Koffsky, Writer
Monika Schreiber, University Librarian
Stacie Ramey, Writer
Vivian Cohen-Leisorek, Writer
Nina B. Lichtenstein, Writer, Scholar, Editor
Zeeva Bukai, Writer
R.J. Fremmer, Writer, Reader, School Librarian
Scott Sheidlower, College Librarian
Louise Fluk, Librarian
S. Teichman, Librarian & Reader
Susannah Dainow, Writer
Aaron Lindh, Reader
Tami Lehman-Wilzig, Author
Ruth Lanton, Reader & Book Reviewer
Liane Carter, Writer
Lili Rosenstreich, Publisher
Jacqueline Jules, Author
Deborah Schranz, Librarian & Writer
Hallie L Cantor, Editor & Library Assistant
J. Greenberg, Reader
Jon Papernick, Author
Evan Frankl, Librarian
Naomi Ruth Estrada, Reader
Anna Olswanger, Literary Agent and Author
Sara Nuss-Galles, Writer
Chana Brod, Writer
Alisa Swissa, Reader
Shoshana E. Levy, Reader
Erica Bensalel, Educator
Stephany Levi, Reader
Avraham Levi, Reader
Noa Levi, Reader
Ethan Levi, Reader
Dafna Amsallem, Reader
Chava Bolotin, Reader
Jo Kozo, Reader
Daniele Stone, Reader
Rivky Seewald, Reader
Sam Rubenstein, Reader
Miriam Futer, Reader & Educator
Tziporah Cohen, Author
Sidura Ludwig, Writer
Louise Hall, Writer & Reader
Robin Blumenthal, Writer
Nikole Rocha, Writer
Atar Hadari, Writer and Hebrew Literary Translator
Jackie Ben-Efraim, Librarian
Margie Cohen-Jackel, Educator & Translator
David Marshall, Editor and Writer
Merri Ukraincik, Writer
Tracy Safron, Reader and Reviewer
Elan Barnehama, Writer
Sara Adina Baker, Reader
Ramona Koval, Writer
Sunshine Mugrabi, Writer
Nancy Ludmerer, Writer
Sharon Hart-Green, Writer
Ariella Sobel, Librarian
Mitchell James Kaplan, Author
Diane Gottlieb, Writer & Editor
Reyzl Grace, Writer, Editor, and Translator
Priscilla Bourgoine, Writer
Megan Hoyt, Writer & Author
Michael Day Williams, Reader
Michael Schwartz, Writer
Liz Brown, Writer
Danica Davidson, Author & Journalist
Sally Wiener Grotta, Writer, Speaker, Photographer
Jachin Putnam, Student
Marie Cloutier, Writer & Reader
Howard Lovy, Author, Editor, Journalist
Zeeva Bukai, Writer
Holli Levitsky, Writer and Scholar
Michelle Cameron, Author
David Cooper, Writer
Julie Morin, Writer
Andria Warmflash Rosenbaum, Writer
Elizabeth Himowitz, Reader
Ellen Greenwood, Reader
Gayle Priwle, Reader
Corie Adjmi, Writer & Teacher
Joel Silver, Reader
Amy Cook, Writer & MFA Student
Alizah Salario, Editor & Writer
Susan Blumberg-Kason, Writer
Anna Denzel, Reader
Sarah Leibov, Writer
Lucinda Casson, Writer
Molly Ritvo, Writer
Shanna Silva, Writer
Barbara Kaplan Lane, Writer
Susan Jablow, Writer
Bryan Schwartzman, Writer & Journalist
Barbra Cohn, Writer
Kresha Richman Warnock, Writer
Robin Blumenthal, Journalist & Novelist
Jo-Anne Berelowitz, Writer & Scholar
Michelle Orrelle, Writer
Sarah Stone, Writer
Dorian Karchmar, Literary Agent
Candace Plotsker-Herman, Writer & Consultant
Meryl G. Gordon, Writer & Reader
Jean Ispa, Scholar & Reader
Michele Dawson Haber, Writer
Sue Ross, Writer
Eve Attermann, Literary Agent
Gary D. Grossman, Writer & Professor Emeritus
Sharon Ackerman, Editor & Poet
Beth Lisogorsky, Writer & Reader
Nancy Ludmerer, Writer
Ruth Kessler, Writer
Judy Stanigar, Writer
Susan Weis-Bohlen, Writer
Sharon Senderowicz , Reader and Educator
Nicole Hazan, Writer
Stacie Ramey, Writer
Lynne Golodner, Writer, Writing Coach, Publisher, Reader
Fran Levin, Writer, Teacher, Education guide
Jill Twersky, Reader
Joel Thomas Katz, Writer
Nora Gold, Writer & Editor
Amy Gottlieb, Writer
Shira Schindel, Publishing Professional
Betsy Diamant-Cohen, Writer
Heidi Shertok, Author