Adelaide Festival reaction shows we can push back the anti-Palestine repression

In the aftermath of the Bondi massacre, nothing says “social cohesion” quite as emphatically as sacking an invited Palestinian-Australian guest from the country’s premier writers’ festival. At a time when the prime minister and political leaders are appealing for unity and calm, they are turning a blind eye to blatant and obvious anti-Arab racism.

This is the only conclusion we can draw from the decision of the board of the Adelaide Festival to “dis-invite” writer and academic Randa Abdel-Fattah from the writers’ festival on the grounds that she has previously made comments that might make people uncomfortable. It is worth letting the festival board speak for itself:

“We have today advised scheduled writer Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah that the Board has formed the judgment that we do not wish to proceed with her scheduled appearance at next month’s Writers’ Week.

“Whilst we do not suggest in any way that Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah’s or her writings have any connection with the tragedy at Bondi, given her past statements we have formed the view that it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi.”

This is a shameful position for the board of a leading cultural festival to take; to argue that removing a Palestinian speaker promotes “community cohesion”.

It’s not clear what the festival organisers were hoping to achieve, but it is clear that board members were pressured into taking this decision. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has made clear his opposition to the Palestine movement and support for Israel. While he is legislatively prevented from directly intervening in festival matters, he has made his distaste for Randa well known through extensive media appearances and statements.

In the wake of the Bondi tragedy and the announcement of a royal commission into antisemitism, we can expect the right and pro-Israel politicians to push for more pro-Palestinian voices to be silenced. It is clear that this is what politicians like Josh Frydenberg and the Murdoch media have been pushing for in their relentless campaign for the royal commission.

It is also clear, as David Brophy writes at Overland, that the push to censor pro-Palestine voices will be extended across the arts sector and higher education this year. Brophy notes the chilling new phrase “ambient antisemitism” that animates the sinister push to clampdown on cultural and academic activism. Apparently, according to its authors, “ambient antisemitism” is whatever makes a pro-Israeli Jewish person uncomfortable. This is exactly the sentiment behind the Adelaide Festival decision to sack Randa.

In this climate, it would be easy for people to duck and cover. But this is not what has happened. On 8 January, within hours of the board publicising its ban on Randa Abdel-Fattah, the Australia Institute—a left-liberal think-tank—announced it was withdrawing its sponsorship and participation. By late that day, over 35 participants also withdrew their participation. Within 48 hours, it had grown to more than 50, including several prominent international guests.

Among them are well-known feminist Jane Caro, Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis, English author Zadie Smith, journalist and academic Peter Greste, Indigenous writers Amy McQuire and Evelyn Araluen, journalist Amy Remeikis and many others. Significantly, high-profile Russian writer and Putin critic Masha Gessen also withdrew.

Gessen was previously cancelled for comparing Israel’s actions in Gaza to the Nazi holocaust. In December 2023, in another ironic action, the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought was snatched back from Gessen for criticising Germany’s support for Israel and the suppression of the Palestine movement at home.

It is fantastic that so many writers and artists have joined a protest in solidarity with Randa. It shows we can fight back against the heavy repression and intimidation that pro-Israel forces are trying to impose on us.

Writers’ week staff have also voiced their opposition to the board’s decision in an email to the guests who have withdrawn. The festival workers are members of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, and the union issued a statement condemning the censorship of Randa. But the MEAA could take this further by calling union members working at the festival to take industrial action.

However, while it is worth celebrating that the Adelaide Festival’s attempted censorship of Palestinian voices has blown up in its face, it is not enough. It is vital that we continue our public protests, our union organising and all other forms of solidarity with Palestine. We can take heart from Randa’s own strong statement in the face of censorship:

“This is a blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism and censorship and a despicable attempt to associate me with the Bondi massacre ... Australian arts and cultural institutions continue to reveal their utter contempt and inhumanity towards Palestinians ... I remain confident that the writing community and the broader public will ultimately respond with principle and integrity.”

We must repay Randa’s confidence with our actions, just as we must recognise that the right will be pushing hard to silence us so that Israel can continue its genocide in the shadows. It is time for all of us to step up. Let’s take the great example of the writers who are standing in solidarity with Randa and build a movement that won’t go away at the first signs of intimidation.

There’s never been a better time to “globalise the Intifada”.

Marty Hirst is the author of There’s no good news: journalism, crisis and philosophy of praxis (Routledge, 2025).