More than 200 British, Irish writers call for boycott of Israel until sufficient aid reaches Gaza

Over 200 British and Irish writers pen a letter calling for an “immediate and complete” boycott of Israel, “until the people of Gaza are adequately provided with drinking water, food and medical supplies, and until all other forms of relief and necessity are restored to the people of Gaza under the aegis of the United Nations.”

The writers also say: “We demand the return of all hostages and those imprisoned without charge or trial on all sides. We demand an end to settler violence against Palestinians on the West Bank. We demand the immediate and permanent ceasefire and cessation of violence by Hamas and Israel.”

“In calling for and observing this boycott, we assert without reservation our absolute opposition to and loathing of antisemitism, of anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli prejudice. We reject and abhor attacks, hate and violence — in writing, speech and action — against Palestinian, Israeli, and Jewish people in all and any form,” the letter continues.

“We stand in solidarity with the resistance of Palestinian, Jewish, and Israeli people to the genocidal policies of the current Israeli government. We note that prominent and respected Israeli and Jewish groups in Israel and other countries, including many of our fellow writers, have recently called for serious and impactful sanctions on Israeli institutions, to which we add, on, and only on, objectively culpable individuals. A boycott is the only sanction an individual can apply,” it says.

Among the signatories are Zadie Smith, Michael Rosen, Irvine Welsh and Jeanette Winterson.

The food situation has become a central concern among the international community amid the ongoing war triggered by the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Humanitarian groups continue to sound the alarm over widespread hunger in Gaza and increasing reports of deaths due to malnutrition.

Israel denies carrying out genocide in the Strip, saying it seeks to minimize civilian fatalities during the war and stresses that Hamas uses Gaza’s civilians as human shields, fighting from civilian areas including homes, hospitals, schools, and mosques.