Israel’s best known writer, Amos Oz, is shunning official Israeli functions abroad in protest at his government’s “extremist” policies, local media reported on Friday.
Israel’s best known writer, Amos Oz, is shunning official Israeli functions abroad in protest at his government’s “extremist” policies, local media reported on Friday.
“When translations of my books are published overseas from time to time, the publishers invite me to attend the book launch,” he told Israeli daily Maariv. “In the wake of the growing extremism in the present government’s policy in various areas, I informed my hosts that I prefer not to be invited to events held in my honour at Israeli embassies overseas.” The Israeli foreign ministry declined to comment.
“Given our high esteem and respect for Amos Oz we have chosen not to react,” spokesman Emm-anuel Nahshon said. Oz, 76, said that despite his stand against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — the most right-wing in Israel’s history — he is against the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign, which calls for an embargo against Israel until it ends its occupation of Palestinian territories.
“I strongly oppose the BDS and I strongly oppose the idea of boycotting Israel,” he told the Jerusalem Post. “My decision is aimed against the government not against my country.” The award-winning author, frequently-tipped as a candidate for a Nobel literature prize, is well-known as a supporter of peace with the Palestinians and a perennial gadfly of the right. Last year, he made waves by referring to Israelis behind a wave of hate crimes against Muslims and Christians as “Hebrew neo-Nazis”.
