JM Coetzee Declines Jerusalem International Writers Festival Over Gaza Conflict

Nobel laureate JM Coetzee wrote to festival artistic director Julia Fermentto-Tzaisler in November, refusing the invitation to the Jerusalem International Writers Festival scheduled for 25-28 May 2026. In his letter he cited Israel’s “genocidal campaign in Gaza” as the reason for his non-attendance.

The Guardian

Since the 7 October 2023 attacks, the Israeli Defence Forces have pursued a military operation in Gaza that UN investigators described as providing “direct evidence of genocidal intent.” Amnesty International says Israel continues genocide by targeting civilian infrastructure and restricting aid. Reported Palestinian deaths exceed 72,000, with at least 832 killed after a ceasefire was declared.

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JM Coetzee, Nobel laureate and two-time Booker winner, authored the refusal. Festival artistic director Julia Fermentto-Tzaisler, who has overseen past editions featuring Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushdie, and Joyce Carol Oates, issued the response. The UN Special Committee of Inquiry and Amnesty International provided the genocide assessments cited by Coetzee.

The Guardian

Coetzee wrote that Israel’s campaign is “vastly disproportionate” to the October 7 provocation and that “any considerable sector of Israeli society, including its intellectual and arts community, cannot claim it should not share in the blame.” Fermentto-Tzaisler responded with personal disappointment, referencing her anti-apartheid history and saying Coetzee’s refusal left her “in despair.”

The Guardian

The festival director argued that cultural engagement should stay separate from politics, noting she expected a former anti-apartheid activist to “extend a hand” rather than withdraw.

Middle East Eye

Coetzee’s boycott fuels debate over artistic participation in events tied to alleged war crimes, potentially shaping future festival programming and increasing scrutiny of cultural institutions amid the Gaza conflict.

Middle East Eye

• “For the past two years the state of Israel has been conducting a genocidal campaign in Gaza that has been vastly disproportionate to the murderous provocation of 7 October 2023,” — JM Coetzee, letter to festival director

The Guardian

• “It will take many years for Israel to clear its name, assuming that it wishes to do so, and to re-establish itself in the international community.” — JM Coetzee

Middle East Eye

• “As a South African writer who fought apartheid, I would have expected — or perhaps dreamed — that you would extend a hand to me, that you would say to me, ‘Fight, my daughter. Do not stop fighting.’ … You left me in despair.” — Julia Fermentto-Tzaisler

The Guardian

• “direct evidence of genocidal intent” — UN Special Committee of Inquiry (quoted in reporting)

The Guardian

The festival will continue as planned, featuring authors such as Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie. International attention to the Gaza war persists, and further cultural boycotts or endorsements may arise as the conflict evolves.

The Guardian