(NEW YORK) – PEN America today announced that it has joined the call for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) and committed to complying with the guidelines for the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of the State of Israel (PACBI). We also reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire and release of the hostages — an agreement that can pave the way for urgent humanitarian access and lasting peace.
PEN America President Jennifer Finney Boylan announced in April the formation of a working group to review our work over the past decade and "to ensure we are aligned with our mission." Based upon their recommendations, and after the conversations we have had with many of our members, our board has voted to endorse PACBI.
We do not arrive at this decision lightly. But the PEN Charter that guides our work declares that "particularly in time of war, works of art, the patrimony of humanity at large, should be left untouched by national or political passion." Since October 7, 2023, PEN America has been troubled by the assault on Palestine's libraries, universities, and cultural institutions by the Israeli military. We are concerned about crackdowns on free expression and the press in Palestine, including the targeting of Palestinian journalists and attacks on PEN Palestine. We are likewise concerned by threats and intimidation by Hamas against journalists in Gaza, which detracts from their ability to report on the conflict.
Though this endorsement is an extraordinary measure, it is not the first time that PEN America has stood with besieged writers, as we have done for writers silenced by the South African apartheid regime and for Ukrainian writers under assault by Russia. Given the urgency of the Israel-Palestine conflict, we have concluded that the violence we are witnessing amidst this war poses a greater obstacle to effective dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians than a boycott does.
While PEN America opposes in principle boycotts that aim to silence writers and foreclose dialogue, we are heartened that PACBI does not target individual Israeli writers, many of whom long for peace. Rather, it is a measure by which cultural organizations like PEN America can pressure Israeli institutions to take a stand for the human rights of Palestinians.
Going forward, therefore, PEN America commits to the following precepts for our work:
- To boycott any cultural product commissioned, sponsored, or funded by the state of Israel or by an official Israeli government or state institution.
- To refrain from participating in any project that seeks to “normalize” the Israeli occupation of Palestine and/or dehumanization of Palestinians.
- To abstain from collaborations with Israeli cultural, literary, and academic organizations that help maintain the Israeli occupation of Palestine and with any organizations that receive funding from the State of Israel.
- To support and platform Palestinian writers without requiring them to appear with Israeli counterparts as an explicit or implicit condition for participation.
- To continue our work providing on-the-ground support to Palestinian journalists, artists, and writers at risk.
PEN America recognizes the unique role that literature and the arts has played in addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict for many years, and we are eager to continue working with Israeli and Palestinian writers to put an end to this devastating war. As we turn a new page with our work, we do so with a commitment to hearing the concerns of our members and to advocating for the human rights for writers and journalists in the region and around the world, no matter their national origin. Learn more about our ongoing work in Israel and Palestine here.
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, STrimel@PEN.org, (201) 247-5057