The Irish novelist has turned down an attractive offer from an Israeli publishing company.
According to media reports, Irish novelist Sally Ronnie turned down an offer from the Israeli publishing company Modan to translate her new novel (Beautiful World Where Are You) into Hebrew.
In a statement, Ronnie, 31, said: “Israeli company Modan approached me to translate my book into Hebrew, but I turned down the offer because of the Palestinian-led boycott, distribution and sanctions (BDS) movement.” have done.
“Right now I have chosen not to sell my translation rights to an Israeli publishing house. I don’t think everyone will agree with my decision, but in the current situation, for me with an Israeli company,” Rooney said. It would not be right to accept a new agreement.
Because the company has not publicly distanced itself from Israel’s policy of racial segregation and has not supported the rights of the Palestinian people despite being recognized by the United Nations.
Ronnie’s statement drew outrage from social media users, who said they were not opposed to his book being translated into Hebrew. Rights are still available and if I find a way to sell these rights in accordance with the guidelines of the BDS movement, I would be very happy and proud to do so.
On the other hand, Palestinian rights activists have welcomed the author’s move, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) said in a Twitter post. There should be no routine business with racist states and institutions.
A senior Israeli official called the Irish author’s move “anti-Semitic in a new guise.”
Palestinians warmly welcome acclaimed Irish author Sally Rooney’s decision to refuse a deal with Modan Publishing House, an Israeli publisher complicit in Israel’s regime of apartheid, occupation & settler-colonialism that killed more than 240 Palestinians in May this year alone. pic.twitter.com/aFm0QU5dqB
– PACBI (ACPACBI) October 12, 2021
It should be noted that three of Ronnie’s novels have been published so far, the first of which was published in 2017 and was titled ‘Conversation with Friends’.
The second novel was published in 2018 under the title ‘Normal People’. The third novel, published in September this year, is entitled ‘Beautiful World, Where Are You’ (Beautiful World, Wear RU).