Dear Ian McEwan,
In response to your complaint, I do respect every person's right to decide. Still, there are two things to consider. 1. Grounding your acceptance of the Israel Prize on the fact that other famed writers before you have done so is unsafe. We cannot know whether they would have willingly accepted it under present circumstances. This is especially true of Bertrand Russell who accepted the prize in 1950, but castigated Israel in 1970, insisting that it withdraw from the territory occupied in 1967. 2. As for the arts having a longer reach than politics, this might be true, but your accepting the prize is not art. It is a political act. And with respect to the East-West Divan orchestra, I recommend that you read PACBI's stand on this, a response to Miriam Said's justification for the orchestra. For the PACBI opinion, see http://australiansforpalestine.com/19886 .
In short, your appearing in Israel to accept the prize whitewashes Israel's colonization and occupation of Palestine.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Naor, an Israeli Jew
Herzliah, Israel
