Dec 21, 2023
“In the past, people burned books in Europe they did not want people to read – in the 21st century they just have to stop printing them.” – Ilan Pappé.
In a controversial move, French publisher Fayard has decided to stop the publication of the translated edition of a book by renowned Israeli historian Ilan Pappé, French news website Actualitté reported.
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, originally published in English by OneWorld Publications, documents the deliberate and systematic ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population during the creation of Israel atop the ruins of historic Palestine in 1948.
Fayard’s communication director told Actualitté that the contract for the title “has expired since February 27, 2022” and that it had not been printing the title since November 3.
‘Zionist Pressure’
However, many believe that the decision by the French publisher is one of many similar acts of censorship of Palestine-related content, especially since Pappé’s book is still a popular volume in France.
“I was highly disappointed to know that one of the first actions of the new owner of Fayard was to cancel the publication and distribution of the Ethnic Cleansing in French,” Pappé told The Palestine Chronicle.
“Even before this move, they seemed to regret their initial enthusiasm, probably because of Zionist pressure. But now, they bluntly tried to impact the freedom of speech and knowledge, probably under the orders of the new owners,” Pappé continued.
Pappé is a professor at the University of Exeter. He is one of the world’s most respected historians on Palestine.
Pappé’s books include ‘The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine’, ‘The Modern Middle East’, ‘A History of Modern Palestine: One Land, Two Peoples’, and ‘Ten Myths about Israel’. He is the co-editor, with Ramzy Baroud of ‘Our Vision for Liberation.’
Modern-Day Book Burning
“Today it is about Palestine, tomorrow it will be about the French crimes in Algeria, and later about the racism in modern-day France,” Pappé told the Palestine Chronicle.
Pappé also hopes that the outcry against the decision by Fayard “will not only come from those who care about Palestine, but from every person with a modicum of decency in them, and who care about that freedom France so proudly parades.”
“In the past, people burned books in Europe they did not want people to read – in the 21st century they just have to stop printing them,” Pappé said.
“The method is different, the outcome is the same.”
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