In most countries across the world, freedom of speech is an absolute human right. However, it can be hard to decipher between what is free to say, and what is too controversial to publicize. During this fragile period of time, the Israel-Hamas conflict has emphasized the blurry lines between political opinion and hate speech. Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the Frankfurt Book Fair has caused controversy by postponing an award ceremony to honor a novel by a Palestinian-born author. The novel, published in English as “Minor Detail,” is written by Adania Shibli and tells the true story of the 1949 abuse and murder of a Palestinian Bedouin girl at the hands of Israeli soldiers. On October 13th, 2023, however, the LitProm association responsible for giving the award announced that it would postpone the ceremony “due to the war started by Hamas, under which millions of people in Israel and Palestine are suffering.”
The statement originally said that this decision had been made in accordance with the author’s wishes, however, Shibli has corrected that the decision was not made with her and instead, she was presented with the decision. In a statement published by the New York Times, Shibli explains that if the ceremony were to have gone ahead, she would have taken the opportunity to reflect on the role of literature in these cruel and painful times, a much-needed message. Shibli’s US publisher Barbra Epler wrote a letter to the New York Times, claiming the LitProm association canceling the ceremony and trying to silence Shibli’s voice due to the war in Israel is cowardly. Many other prominent authors and publishers from around the world have published their own statements accusing the Frankfurt Book Fair of “shutting down” Palestinian voices, causing discussions about the responsibility of an international fair such as the Frankfurt Book Fair to create safe spaces for authors.
The fight for free speech continues on the campus of a divided Harvard University. On the night of the Hamas attack, a coalition of more than 30 student groups posted an open letter, claiming that Israel was “entirely responsible” for the violence that ended up killing thousands of people, the majority being civilians. The names of individual students were not included in the letter, but within days, students affiliated with those groups were being doxxed, some with their personal information posted online. A truck with a digital billboard, paid for by a conservative group, circled Harvard Square, flashing student photos and names under the headline, “Harvard’s Leading Antisemites.” It affected more than their online presence as well, with Wall Street executives demanding a list of student names to ban from hiring.
Free speech is an ongoing debate, from the art exposed to the world, to the diversity recognized on college campuses. What is acceptable to say, and what crosses the line? The war between Israel and Hamas is increasing the tension between fragile communities, both locally and internationally, and draws attention to the importance of keeping a safe space while allowing individuals’ opinions to be acknowledged.