The board of the Adelaide Festival last week said Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, a vocal critic of Israel, had been removed from its Writers' Week lineup due to "sensitivities" after the shooting of 15 people – by gunmen allegedly inspired by the Islamic State militant group – at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach in December. Adler said the board's decision had been taken "despite my strongest opposition" and added: "In my view, boards composed of individuals with little experience in the arts, and blind to the moral implications of abandoning the principle of freedom of expression, have been unnerved by the pressure exerted by politicians calculating their electoral prospects and relentless, coordinated letter-writing campaigns." He told the Guardian Australia he believed some of her previous statements had been counterproductive to the Palestinian cause and that given the circumstances after the Bondi attack the decision was not unreasonable.
Published at: 2026-01-12 23:41:35
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