Australia festival faces mass boycott after dropping Palestinian author

Al JazeeraCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by Al Jazeera StaffJanuary 12, 2026 at 10:05 AM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

The Adelaide Festival in Australia is facing a mass boycott after disinviting Australian-Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah from its Writers Week in February. The festival cited cultural insensitivity following a mass shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach in December 2025. In response to Abdel-Fattah's disinvitation, approximately 100 writers, including prominent figures like Jacinda Ardern and Yanis Varoufakis, have withdrawn from the festival, which is scheduled to run from February 27 to March 15. Four board members have also resigned in protest. Abdel-Fattah has characterized the festival's decision as anti-Palestinian racism and censorship. The festival's executive director acknowledged the complex situation and significant community response to the board's decision.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Macquarie University 30% Benjamin Netanyahu 40% Sydney ×240% Julian Hobba 40% Jacinda Ardern 50% Yanis Varoufakis 50% Australia ×260% Bondi Beach ×370% Adelaide Festival ×480% Randa Abdel-Fattah ×590%

Keywords

festival boycott 90% adelaide festival 80% randa abdel-fattah 80% anti-palestinian racism 70% bondi beach shooting 60% censorship 60% writers withdrawal 50% anti-semitism 50% cultural sensitivity 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Bondi Beach

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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festival boycott adelaide festival randa abdel-fattah anti-palestinian racism bondi beach shooting censorship writers withdrawal anti-semitism cultural sensitivity

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