Editor's Note: The center of the image used is an illustration by artist Brice Patterson. The expansion of the image was done using AI with the artist's permission for the usage of the Palestine Square blog.
This weekend marks the second iteration of the Palestine Writes Literature Festival — the only one of its kind in North America. The festival virtually debuted in 2020 after the pandemic abruptly prevented an in-person gathering. Three years later, numerous dedicated organizers, volunteers, and supporters have worked tirelessly to host a celebration of Palestinian cultural production, inviting more than 120 speakers, writers, and artists. The Palestine Writes Literature Festival will open on September 22 at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, homeland of the Lenni-Lenape People.
The Festival was attacked by Zionist and pro-Israel groups and officials. New Jersey Congressman Josh Gottheimer, who received over $200,000 in financial contributions from AIPAC in 2022, released an open letter against the festival.
In the midst of the attacks, Susan Abulhawa, executive director of the Festival, released a response on behalf of the organizing committee. Abulhawa acknowledged the power disparity between the Festival, its student organizers, and these Zionist organizations who have in recent days sponsored inciteful mobile billboards and branded beverages and posters. The response letter maintained direct and unwavering support for Palestine. Abulhawa acknowledged the decades-long dehumanization of Palestinians. The letter also reiterated that Palestinians will not stand silent in the face of violent accusations when it is the Palestinian people who have been oppressed for over seven decades.
The tactics used by the ADL and Jewish Federation are not new to the Palestinian community. Abulhawa cites multiple examples of how the mention of Palestinians and their culture has driven relentless hate campaigns by these very same organizations. Zionists campaigned to have the film Farha, which depicts the Palestinian Nakba, removed from streaming services. Even songs by Palestinian musicians have been targeted, with Zionists attempting to push for their removal from Spotify.
Abulhawa stated, “We are the ones who have been expelled from our homes; our history, heritage stolen; our families robbed and shattered all over the world.”
Although anti-Palestinian hatred has attempted to rob the public of this celebration of Palestinian culture, there was also a wave of support for the Palestine Writes festival and the Palestinian community. Student groups at the University of Pennsylvania, such as Police Free Penn, the Penn Arab Society/Penn Against the Occupation, and The Chavurah, as well as faculty have all released public statements standing in support of the festival. The Palestine Writes Literature Festival, as of this writing, has oversold tickets.
