[This media coverage page is almost entirely in German available. The views expressed in any interview, signed article, or open letter endorsed by individual board members do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire board of PEN Berlin.]
Middle East Resolutions &»Precepts of Intellectual-Moral Hygiene«
also: Benny Morris, Anthology of Young Refugees (December 2024)
On Middle East Resolutions of PEN Berlin
Süddeutsche Zeitung, report by Christiane Lutz, December 9, 2024: »Something has happened again at PEN Berlin. On Sunday, the association adopted a resolution ›For the Protection of Writers and Journalists in the Current Middle East Conflict‹. (…) What reads at first glance like a reasonable, balanced text is apparently the product of a lengthy debate within PEN Berlin, which is divided on the Middle East conflict. A compromise, one that was democratically voted on. A motion to decide on the resolution had been postponed at an Assembly of the association in November. What can now be heard from the background after Sunday’s extraordinary General Assembly: No one is really happy.« LINK
»Public Distanciation« by members, documented at Ruhrbarone, December 9, 2024: »On December 8, the General Assembly of PEN Berlin adopted a resolution ›For the Protection of Writers and Journalists in the Current Middle East Conflict‹. We feel compelled to distance ourselves from this resolution in its current wording. In a paragraph beginning ›Among the dead are our colleagues…‹, the resolution suggests solidarity even with authors who have incited hatred against Jews and/or served as propagandists for Hamas and Hezbollah terror. We do not wish to call such authors our colleagues. (…) Our grief is for the far too many innocent victims of Israeli warfare, past and present. Our solidarity is with all people who have suffered, not only since October 7, 2023, under the terror of Hamas, Hezbollah, and others.« LINK
Jüdische Allgemeine, interview by Michael Thaidigsmann with Lorenz Beckhardt, December 10, 2024: »That PEN Berlin rejects the BDS movement is very important to Deniz Yücel. He emphasizes this repeatedly, and I appreciate that about him. But I am sure he feels that this position is on shaky ground. On Sunday, it was only one vote that made the difference. And what will happen at the next General Assembly? In other countries, the cultural boycott of Israel is already a done deal. Soon it could be the case here as well.« LINK
»Open Letter from Resignees«, documented in the Frankfurter Rundschau, December 10, 2024: »PEN Berlin is currently being run like a political party. (…) In this sense, we see our resignation as a farewell gift. Face the criticism! Open your ears to the bang! Do not close your eyes to the rubble field you have left behind! The leadership duo of PEN Berlin combines disorientation with a highly vital will to power. (…) At present, the separation is for us a precept of intellectual and moral hygiene. What no longer belongs together is separating. May the association heal from this!« LINK
Jüdische Allgemeine, commentary by Stefan Laurin, December 10, 2024: »The adopted resolution was a compromise. (…) In the vote, it narrowly defeated another resolution proposal (…). Had this declaration, which was almost unmatched in its one-sidedness, been adopted, there would not only have been public disassociation but also numerous resignations. PEN Berlin, deeply divided on issues related to Israel since its inception, was on the brink of failure.« LINK
Berliner Zeitung, report by Eva Maria Braungart, December 10, 2024: »Numerous authors have resigned from the PEN Berlin writers’ association amid a conflict over a resolution draft concerning the Middle East conflict. In an open letter, the former members justified their departure not only with the rejected resolution proposal at Sunday’s extraordinary General Assembly. ›Rather, the long-simmering issue of whether and how PEN Berlin should take a stand on colleagues killed in Gaza flared up into an open crisis,‹ the open letter stated. The association is currently being run like a political party. (…) The compromise agreement passed instead of the resolution does not ›say no to excessive warfare‹ without adding a tortured ›but Hamas started it‹ afterward.« LINK
Frankfurter Allgemeine, commentary by Andreas Platthaus, December 10, 2024: »Among the supporters of the failed Israel-critical resolution were some prominent figures: Omri Boehm, Deborah Feldman, Daniel Kehlmann, Eva Menasse, and Mithu Sanyal. Among the advocates of this proposal, a draft resignation letter co-authored by the lead writer Per Leo is circulating. The letter accuses PEN Berlin of being ›currently run like a political party‹, primarily targeting the leadership duo of journalist Deniz Yücel and publicist Thea Dorn: it combines ›frenzied disorientation with a highly vital will to power.‹ Given the rhetorical vehemence of the draft, it is easy to imagine that some recipients of the circular will leave PEN Berlin.« LINK
Zeit No. 53/2024, commentary by Adam Soboczynski, December 10, 2024: »Dissatisfaction arises, among other things, over the question of whether it is acceptable to refer to Palestinian journalists who have engaged in anti-Israel propaganda as ›colleagues.‹ Per Leo, Deborah Feldman, and Susan Neiman, who failed to push through their initial resolution, combined their resignation with absurdly fierce attacks on the leadership style of PEN spokespersons Thea Dorn and Deniz Yücel. This can only be seen as hitting back. Older comrades among the writers are reminded of the K-group disputes of the 1970s by the meticulousness and uncompromising nature of certain factions within PEN Berlin.« LINK
Jüdische Allgemeine, report, December 11, 2024: »The open letter, signed by authors like Leo, Feldman, Neiman, Detjen, and others including Fadi Abdelnour, Ramy al-Asheq, Mohammad Al Attar, Dima al-Bitar Kalaji, Diedrich Diederichsen, Tomer Dotan-Dreyfus, and Mati Shemoelof, ends with ›Hasta la vista, Krauts. Shalom, friends.‹« LINK
Frankfurter Rundschau, report by Michael Hesse, December 11, 2024: »Another group accused the association of distancing itself from Palestinian colleagues. As a result, numerous members resigned. The resignation letter was documented in the FR. In addition, further letters were reportedly sent to PEN Berlin spokespersons Deniz Yücel and Thea Dorn, some of which the FR has obtained. In response to the entire PEN Berlin controversy, member Daniel Cohn-Bendit told the Frankfurter Rundschau: ›I find it all absurd; it reminds me of the division of the ’68 movement into Maoists, Trotskyists, and whatever else.‹« LINK
Tagesspiegel, commentary by Gerrit Bartels, December 11, 2024: »The rather large group that has left PEN Berlin seems to have found clarity for themselves, which, in the Middle East conflict, increasingly means a clear ›for‹ or ›against.‹ However, it must ultimately be the task of a writers’ association, now with over 700 members, to balance opposing positions to some degree. PEN Berlin has been attempting this since its founding, especially since October 7, when the association, for example, organized both discussions about the situation in Israel after the Hamas massacre and a solidarity reading for Adania Shibli at the Frankfurt Book Fair.« LINK
Berliner Zeitung, report by Susanne Lanz, December 11, 2024: »Elke Schmitter, who had co-sponsored the compromise resolution, left PEN because she did not want to express solidarity with the Palestinians mentioned in the resolution. She announced her resignation on Facebook. The largest group of those who resigned supported the original proposal. They aired their grievances in an open letter. The bitter tone is well-known from discussions about this conflict. (…) Deniz Yücel does not want to comment on the text. He calls it strange but otherwise tries to keep the matter low-key. PEN Berlin had 730 members before this General Assembly; recently, 99 new members had joined. Now about 35 have resigned. ›I regret every resignation but hope some will reconsider once the initial anger subsides,‹ he said.« LINK
Welt, commentary by Marc Reichwein, December 11, 2024: »For two years, PEN Berlin, founded in 2022 as a reaction to the spectacular dispute in Gotha and the resignation of author and Welt journalist Deniz Yücel as president of PEN Germany, remained remarkably calm and conflict-free. Many writers and journalists moved to the new PEN Berlin. The association held some book fairs and a summer of eastern German state elections, demonstrating what a writers’ club can achieve when not preoccupied with itself. It can spark conversations and remain contentious.« LINK
DLF Kultur, Studio 9, conversation with Korbinian Frenzel and Per Leo, December 11, 2024: »Indeed, this initiative came from a specific group. This group submitted a motion, revised it, and essentially carried out the entire compromise work within itself (…) These are people of absolute weight, including some international heavyweights.« LINK and AUDIO
DLF Kultur, Fazit, report by Charlotte Oelschegel and commentary by Carsten Hueck, December 11, 2024: Hueck: »To speak of the ›self-dismantling of PEN Berlin‹ would be premature. But it is indicative of our heated debate culture how a substantial, morally zealous group elevates itself under the guise of empathy and solidarity, believing it possesses the sole truth, and simply resigns to avoid dialogue with dissenters. And this at PEN Berlin, which has committed itself to combat all forms of hatred and foster unimpeded exchange of ideas.« LINK and AUDIO
Spiegel, commentary by Tobias Rapp, December 11, 2024: »Last weekend, PEN Berlin held its General Assembly. And quite contrary to the lofty goals the organization claims to have, it seems some of Germany’s most tiresome tendencies converged: clubmanship, the urge to resolve the Middle East conflict, the belief that Israelis and Palestinians are eagerly awaiting solidarity statements from Germany, and the love for procedural prose. Add a penchant for slamming doors, self-righteousness, smugness, and delusions of grandeur.« LINK
DLF Kultur, Lesart, conversation with Frank Meyer and Thea Dorn, December 11, 2024: »I can only ask colleagues on this side to respect a democratically reached decision. PEN Berlin is not an ideological club and has never been. Theoretically, even those who signed this resignation letter should agree that we must be a diverse organization capable of tolerating differing political opinions. Theoretically, this principle is upheld – resisting echo chambers and factionalism – but failing to endure the outcome of a completely democratic process in which one’s resolution is not adopted (…) is disappointing in a way.« LINK and AUDIO
taz, Contribution by Simone Buchholz, December 11, 2024: “It’s satisfying to be out at 2 a.m. with a colleague who, if she hadn’t been in Berlin with her two sons, would be in prison for eight years. But she isn’t. She is here, she has a flat, she has recently been accepted into the artists’ social security system and thus into the German health system (which is important if you have experience of fleeing and the powerful were not squeamish), and she can stand on a bench in a shabby Hamburg bar, smoking and drinking beer and singing if she wants to. That, and only that, is damaged when heads are bashed in because of resolutions, because of ‘intellectual and moral hygiene’ – once again: come on, seriously.” LINK
junge Welt, Report by Peter Merg, December 12, 2024: “At an extraordinary General Assembly of PEN Berlin on Sunday, a draft resolution that strongly criticized the killing of authors and the destruction of cultural infrastructure was rejected by a vote of 82 to 83. Instead, a ‘compromise motion’ with milder criticism was adopted. Another pro-Israel paper stood no chance. On Monday, 25 members announced their resignation, justifying this with a joint letter apparently authored in large part by historian Per Leo.” LINK
Frankfurter Rundschau, Report by Michael Hesse, December 12, 2024: “Following the latest wave of resignations from the writers’ association, PEN Berlin’s spokespersons are striving to calm things down. The organization, they said, has always seen itself as a diverse organization in every sense, including politically. ‘And everyone liked that,’ said PEN spokesperson Deniz Yücel. (…) ‘But in a diverse organization, it can happen that a majority makes decisions you don’t agree with yourself.'” LINK
NDR Kultur, Der Morgen, Philipp Schmid in conversation with Tomas Fitzel, December 12, 2024: “But one has to keep the scale in perspective: this is not a chancellor’s election committee but PEN Berlin. It’s an association of volunteer members. They do all this voluntarily, so the fuss we’re making about it doesn’t really justify this level of outrage.” LINK and AUDIO
radio 3, radio 3 am Morgen, Commentary by Tomas Fitzel, December 12, 2024: “Anyone who meets at the bar for a cool beer after heated discussions instead of staring frustrated and lonely at a black screen doesn’t write such unnecessary resignation statements and declarations of distancing. So: drink more and write less.” LINK and AUDIO
Open Letter from Other Members: “We are here to Stay”, documented in taz, December 12, 2024: “What is happening at PEN Berlin at the moment is a direct reflection of the turmoil in society. In their despair over the state of the world, reasonable and intelligent people are sinking into the ‘narcissism of small differences’ (Sigmund Freud). Since neither of the two sides that have formed in Germany to support the warring parties in the Middle East has any influence on this terrible war, it is carried out in the small-scale work of the association. After two extensive discussions, a resolution was democratically adopted by one (!) more vote for; the other, narrowly rejected motion differed only in – hotly debated – details. The huge fuss that ensued can no longer be explained to the outside world.” LINK
Frankfurter Allgemeine, Report, December 12, 2024: “In an open letter, 24 members of PEN Berlin called for unity and a return to the founding values of the organization. ‘What is currently happening in PEN Berlin is a direct reflection of societal fragmentation,’ reads the beginning of the letter. The signatories declare their intention to remain members of the organization, opposing the secession efforts of their colleagues. Among the prominent signatories are authors Eva Menasse and Daniel Kehlmann as well as publicist Michel Friedman.” LINK
Spiegel, Report, December 12, 2024: “‘Most supporters of the defeated proposals accept the democratic outcome,’ the new letter states. ‘But a significant number of members are now resigning, often publicly.’ The ‘verbal skirmishes and ideological battles’ are said to be ‘damaging this young association, which relies heavily on volunteer work.’ Instead, the letter emphasizes the organization’s purpose: as a human rights organization and platform for debate. ‘Standing on the right side means, for us, constantly attempting to bridge divides, find compromises, and keep our responsibilities to exiled colleagues in focus,’ it concludes. And then: ‘We’ve had enough of everything else.’” LINK
Jungle World, Commentary by Hans Suilmann, December 12, 2024: “‘Even under Hamas, press freedom in the Gaza Strip was restricted; critical journalists were intimidated and criminalized,’ the signatories write, and the choice of verbs makes it clear that according to Per Leo and his political friends, life under Hamas in Gaza wasn’t so bad, while Israel is said to shoot reporters outright. That’s how propaganda works.” LINK
Freitag, Contribution by Stefan Weidner, December 13, 2024: “I don’t expect German authors to share my perspective on the Middle East conflict. On the contrary, I expect the opposite. But I would not leave the PEN Club because of that. However, I must leave a PEN Club that has been infiltrated by people who no longer mourn victims as such.” LINK
Frankfurter Allgemeine, Contribution by Saba-Nur Cheema and Meron Mendel, December 13, 2024: “We joined the young organization because the solidarity of oppressed writers and journalists is worth supporting. However, we must admit that our engagement has been minimal so far. (…) We limited ourselves to occasionally participating in panel discussions and paying our membership fees more or less on time. (…) Even without our active support, the young PEN Berlin quickly became a success story.” LINK
radio 3, radio 3 am Nachmittag, Frank Schmid in conversation with Nora Bossong, December 13, 2024: “The problem is simply that the loudest people are, of course, the ones heard first. And then, with 200 people arguing on a Sunday afternoon, it only takes three very loud individuals to hurl insults for that to dominate the conversation. I think we should focus more on what we can accomplish (…) I want to say that I have great respect for the people who have taken on so much in the past two years. Almost unpaid and voluntarily.” LINK and AUDIO
Tagesspiegel, Contribution by Gerrit Bartels, December 13, 2024: “By now, the upheavals in the PEN Berlin writers’ association, the numerous statements by many of its members, the public dissociations, and the open letters declaring resignations should really have come to an end. And now yet another open letter, published on the PEN Berlin website, signed by 24 members? A letter titled ‘We Stay’—as if that needed extra explanation. Yet, yes, it did. Because this letter speaks with the voice of reason and insight, which may hopefully extend to other areas of culture (the arts sector!) one day, especially concerning the Middle East conflict.” LINK
Frankfurter Allgemeine, Commentary by Julia Encke, December 13, 2024: “In this letter, published by the Frankfurter Rundschau here, the two elected spokespersons of the organization, Deniz Yücel and Thea Dorn, are completely discredited (…). Nothing constructive is included in the letter; it is nothing but a self-righteous tirade. And of course, it ends with the often-cited ‘sausage stand,’ which Deniz Yücel referred to two years ago when describing PEN Germany. (…) Per Leo, who indignantly exclaimed during the General Assembly, ‘How German does PEN Berlin want to be?’ has recently been awarded a research project at the Berlin Institute for Advanced Study on ‘Conflict Topics – Israel and Palestine in German Schools.’ (…) Considering the conflicts in PEN Berlin and Per Leo’s defamatory statements in a Deutschlandfunk interview, one wonders why a writer inclined to self-righteous belittling of others would be suitable to develop ideas on addressing ‘conflict topics’ in schools.” LINK
Frankfurter Allgemeine, Commentary by Jürgen Kaube, December 13, 2024: “This is how democratic processes work. You lose, you’re in opposition, and you hope for the next vote. But no one has ever resigned from parliament because they lost a vote. Not so with these writers. The losers feel unrepresented, so they leave PEN Berlin. (…) Entering a struggle only on the condition of winning is absurd. (…) Per Leo’s claim that the 28 signatories of his resolution are ‘heavyweights’ borders on unintentional comedy. Who measures the significance of an intellectual voice? And on what scale?” LINK
Süddeutsche Zeitung, Interview by Jens-Christian Rabe with Deniz Yücel, December 13, 2024: “To me, resolutions are not the main mission of PEN Berlin. As a board we thought: OK, now there are draft resolutions, even though everyone knows that no association resolution can influence the course of the world. But at least for the German discussion it could be a gain if we could manage to unite both sides on at least one issue. There is an opportunity here that no one in Germany except PEN Berlin has: […] the chance for a dialogue between people who are not yet in dialogue with each other. I know that sounds ambitious, but before the resolutions, the General Assembly and all that, we had a chance that we unfortunately missed – especially me, as one in charge. And maybe we still have that chance, in spite of everything. There is no alternative. And maybe a clash had to happen in order for things to move forward in a more constructive way.” LINK [€] (in German) and LINK (in English)
Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung, Commentary by Stefan Lüddemann, December 14, 2024: “PEN Berlin is repeating the mistake that other cultural institutions have made. They replicate societal conflicts within their own debates. The consequence: The fundamental, irreconcilable conflict contaminates the very space meant for free discourse and the only partisanship that matters in culture: advocacy for freedom of expression and human dignity.” LINK [€]
junge Welt, Article by Peter Merg, December 14, 2024: “The time of declarations and indignations is not yet over at PEN Berlin. (…) Now, 24 other members have issued a statement explaining why they continue to support the section. (…) Perhaps the insight is slowly dawning, even within this breakaway group from PEN Germany formed with high aspirations in 2022, that global conflicts cannot be resolved with resolutions.” LINK
DLF Kultur, Studio 9, Commentary by Kati Obermann, December 16, 2024: “Honestly, what always shocks me most is when intellectuals, of all people, are unable to negotiate differing positions or simply tolerate the fact that others hold different views.” LINK and AUDIO
Welt, Commentary by Thomas Schmid, December 16, 2024: “PEN Berlin was explicitly an attempt to stop this madness on one hand while, on the other, not alienating Israel’s opponents too harshly but rather integrating them in the name of free speech. A perhaps honorable attempt. Now it has failed, and the old fault line is glaringly visible again. This has, perhaps more than ever, shattered the myth of a lofty solidarity among writers, intellectuals, and journalists.” LINK
Spiegel, Editorial by Swantje Karich, December 16, 2024: “No one is obliged to talk to one another. That is not the point. This is not the time to lament the absence of dialogue—dialogue about the Middle East conflict hardly functions at all, as PEN Berlin has just demonstrated, with dozens of members resigning in discord over a resolution. Of course, about the Middle East conflict. But this has already been the lesson of recent years: The title of a canceled discussion round, ‘We need to talk,’ has become a helpless symbol of the seemingly impossible conversation about Israel-related antisemitism in Germany since Documenta 15 two years ago.” LINK
taz, Commentary by René Hamann, December 17, 2024: “Don’t worry, this won’t be yet another article about PEN Berlin and the debate over Middle East resolutions. After all, I’m not a member and follow ‘DF,’ which stands for Deborah Feldman, more on Instagram than the Israeli Defense Forces, IDF, but I always enjoy the posts by DF, which often come from Stefanie Sargnagel in Vienna.” LINK
Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Article by Paul Jandl, December 17, 2024: “A group around the writers Per Leo and Deborah Feldman and the philosopher Susan Neiman left noisily. In a mix of vanity and absurdity, their resignation letter pretends that the world’s acute problems are almost negligible compared to the suppression of opinion allegedly prevailing in PEN Berlin. Offended, authors who claim ‘moral clarity’ for themselves are departing, while everyone else is supposedly sinking ‘in the mire of German public life.’” LINK
DLF Kultur, Studio 9, Discussion between Korbinian Frenzel and Thea Dorn, December 18, 2024: “It sounds a little bit as if there were two extremist camps, and in fact that’s really not the case. This proposal, which I also felt was pro-Palestinian, was endorsed by colleagues including Eva Menasse, Daniel Kehlmann and Omri Boehm; It’s grotesque to make extremists out of them. […] I was talking about the project, we all have to see how we can awaken the citizen in ourselves, this is my attempt to do that. And yes, it’s arduous, but I don’t want to complain about it, because it’s a misconception to think that democracy is effortless or easy. But it’s about keeping your nerve, trying not to open up unnecessary fronts and believing that you can keep talking to each other. And here I am, even though it may not have sounded that way in the media, confident that this will continue to be possible at PEN Berlin.” LINK and AUDIO
taz, Commentary by Julia Hubernagel, December 19, 2024: “There is an arrogant conviction among some that their resignation is a ‘farewell gift’ to the organization. Signatories include Fadi Abdelnour, Susan Neiman, Deborah Feldman, and Per Leo. Listening to the latter, one might think PEN Berlin has lost all of its intellectual dynamism through these 25 resignations. (…) It seems Leo would have preferred this small group to speak for the entire organization.” LINK
NDR Kultur, Journal, Interview by Julia Westlake with Simone Buchholz, December 18, 2024: “We’ve always held debates. Two and a half hours of them were very interesting and open. People tried to talk to each other about a highly controversial topic causing much division in Germany. (…) Resolutions are primarily messages directed inward. Or messages from those proposing them to themselves. Now, of over 700 members, a total of 50 have resigned—I don’t see this as a failure. The vast majority of our membership clearly supports the core mission of PEN Berlin, which is to assist persecuted colleagues in escaping their countries, where they face repression, and provide them with a safe home in Germany. (…) For this, we need funds, and we need to generate public awareness, which sometimes backfires. Apparently, we’re still interesting.” LINK and AUDIO
Jüdische Allgemeine, Commentary by Lorenz S. Beckhardt, December 20, 2024: “That was close! At a PEN Berlin’s General Assembly on December 8, a group of BDS-affiliated authors almost took over the largest writers’ organization in Germany. (…) PEN Berlin, whose spokesperson Deniz Yücel mantra-like reiterates that BDS has no place in its ranks, almost slipped into the camp of ‘Don’t read Jews!’ propagandists. But fairness dictates acknowledging that the vast majority of members did not follow them.” LINK
Jüdische Allgemeine, Rebuttal by Eva Menasse, December 21, 2024: “As co-spokesperson of PEN Berlin until November 1, I strongly reject the repeated allegations of proximity to BDS. Deniz Yücel and I have spoken out against cultural boycotts not ‘mantra-like’ but out of full conviction of what we believe freedom of opinion and art entails at PEN Berlin: that it must apply to everyone and at all times. (…) To oppose cultural boycotts fundamentally means, in the spirit of Voltaire, also not boycotting artists who support boycotts themselves. Lorenz S. Beckhardt appears to have misunderstood this, as evidenced by his conspicuous omission of the Jewish contributions to the PEN Berlin debate.” LINK
Thea Dorn on 2.5 Years of PEN Berlin and 100 Years of PEN
radio 3, radio 3 am Morgen, Interview with Thea Dorn, December 6, 2024: “At the same time as our founding two and a half years ago, we took on concrete responsibilities for colleagues from Turkey, Morocco, and Iran, who are now our fellows, here in Germany on our invitation and support. We help them, try to establish professional contacts for them. That is, for me, the core task. And then there’s the domestic political aspect. (…) I’ll phrase this first as an ambition rather than a promise that it will succeed: This writers’ association should set an example that it’s possible for a club with widely divergent opinions, for example, on the Middle East conflict, to remain civil and look for consensus.” LINK and AUDIO
KNA, Report by Matthias Jöran Berntsen, as published in Evangelische Zeitung, December 11, 2024: “The division within PEN Germany persists even on the centennial of its founding. Neither PEN Germany nor PEN Berlin currently have plans to end this split, which began in 2022, according to an inquiry by the Catholic News Agency (KNA). (…) A spokesperson for PEN Berlin declined to comment further on possible plans for a future reunification. He stated only that the authors’ association does not wish to ‘define itself in contrast to other organizations or evaluate their work.'” LINK
3Sat, Kulturzeit, Feature by Frank Eggers on PEN Germany’s centennial, December 13, 2024: Thea Dorn: “These writers, who come from countries where they have often endured horrific experiences – imprisonment, persecution – they need care and support, and someone to accompany them to government offices. All this is truly great work that undeniably deserves the title of voluntary service. (…) There can never be enough organizations in this world that carry the banner of freedom of expression.” LINK and VIDEO
On the Cancellation of Benny Morris by Leipzig University
Welt, Commentary by Deniz Yücel, December 3, 2024: “Next week, Benny Morris was supposed to speak at Leipzig University as part of the lecture series ‘Traditions and Presence of Antisemitism.’ Following protests from pro-Palestinian activists, the event was canceled. New York performance artist and musician Laurie Anderson, once a pop-cultural avant-gardist, was supposed to take up a guest professorship at Essen’s Folkwang University of the Arts this year. Then a blog specializing in ideological background checks highlighted her signature on a ‘Letter Against Apartheid’ initiated by Palestinian artists. The university leadership asked Anderson if her views had changed since then. Offended, Anderson – who has repeatedly performed in Israel – declined the guest professorship. These two cases do not balance each other out; their sum is not zero but minus two: German universities that abandoned academic freedom and failed their ideal of cosmopolitanism.” LINK [€]
MDR Aktuell, Interview with Deniz Yücel, December 4, 2024: “This statement is signed by two professors at Leipzig University. They do two things: on one hand, they distance themselves from Mr. Morris; on the other, they criticize Benny Morris’s critics, claiming double standards are applied and that supporters of the boycott movement against Israel can speak freely at German universities. Whether that’s actually true is debatable. This attempt to position themselves as balanced is, in my view, doubly embarrassing: First, one does not distance oneself from invited guests, let alone after disinviting them. Second, the university’s role should not have been to critique pro-Palestinian activists’ style but to uphold academic freedom.” LINK and AUDIO
Anthology by Young Refugees: “Be Beside Me and See What Happened to Me”
DLF Kultur, Lesart, Interview with Publisher Jörg Sundermeier, December 2, 2024: “The book is the result of several workshops initiated by the Poetry Project and PEN Berlin for refugees, allowing them to write in their own language. (…) One refugee aptly said, ‘Being a refugee is not my profession.’ (…) I must admit, at first, I was cautious. Such collections often feel like charity projects. But we aim to create books that are books for readers, not self-serving. When we received the texts, they were simply astounding.” LINK and AUDIO
DLF Kultur, Studio 9, Review by Lara Sielmann, December 27, 2024: “An anthology on equal footing, beyond ideologically charged debates that often overshadow the lived experiences of individuals.” LINK
Qantara, Review by Gerrit Wustmann, Dezember 28, 2024: »This anthology is so important because it does not talk about the refugees, but with them, letting them speak for themselves, giving them a voice that is so much more diverse, complex and fact-based than all the flat populist drumming of parts of German civil society and large parts of a party landscape that makes itself impossible with its constant devaluation of people – and unfortunately still gets elected. The present book is a counter-model: an invitation to dialogue across borders.« LINK