Spanish author Antonio Munoz Molina rejected protests from literary boycott activists to receive the Jerusalem Prize from Israeli President Shimon Peres in a ceremony in the Jewish capital as part of the 26th Jerusalem International Book Fair Sunday, despite expressing solidarity “with those that have been expelled”.
The relatively unknown writer admitted his writing often reflects on issues of exile and displacement as he alluded to criticism of Israeli settlement policy by denying that by accepting the award he became “an accomplice to anything horrible or undesirable that has happened in this country”.
Aligning himself with Israeli-born authors renowned for being critical of their government’s policies, including David Grossman, for whom he said he had “strong respect”.
Molina also confirmed he had received several letters from fellow authors and academic boycott campaigners including The Color Purple writer Alice Walker, questioning the “literary value” of such protests centring on clichés and stereotypes.
In excerpts from the letter co-signed by Walker, who herself denied permission for an Israeli translation of her works to go into production as a mark of protest against the “apartheid state”, the authors claimed the noted prize was “central in the Israeli propaganda and its deceptive campaign of diverting attention away from its persistent crimes and violations of international law”.
“If you receive the Jerusalem Prize it will contribute to a false image of Israel respecting “individuals’ freedom in society” which will be portrayed and spread by the media. We fear that the unimaginable devastation of humanity which Israel has inflicted continuously and systematically upon Palestinians will be disregarded and Israel’s actions will be accepted” it added.
Responding to the charge, Molina, whose works include Holocaust-based book Sepharad, further questioned how those with a professed interest for justice could “use language so hateful” in trying to attain it. However, in a an apparent effort to fan the flames of controversy, he insisted the negative criticisms should not be taken out of context, as the majority of correspondence had been positive and supportive.