‘Silent boycott’ forces Jewish writers and artists to go it alone

A memoir by an October 7 attack survivor who spent 491 days in Hamas captivity, unaware that his British wife and daughters had been murdered, might be considered a solid bet for a publisher. But Eli Sharabi’s memoir was not picked up by any mainstream company in Britain. The rejections left Neil Blair, a literary agent who also represents JK Rowling, “flabbergasted”. Most commented 1 Sonay Kartal defeats Elina Svitolina to reach Wuhan Open semi-finals Tennis 15 comments Blair is one of several literary figures and musicians who are setting up companies to provide “safe spaces” for Jewish artists affected by a “silent boycott”. Top stories 1 US inflation hotter than expected as Iran war stokes fuel costs Economics He founded the publishing house High Line Publishing Studio to give voice to Jewish and Israeli writers he believed had been “shunned” since the war in Gaza began after the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Blair, who is Jewish, said of Sharabi’s memoir: “I’m assuming none of [the publishers] even bothered to read the proposal, as it’s one of the most remarkable books. I think it’s akin to some of the great standout books from the Holocaust, in terms of lessons on how to live one’s life in the face of adversity.” Advertisement Hostage was eventually released by the independent publisher Swift. Had one of the industry big beasts put their “muscle” behind it, it would have reached more readers, Blair said. Top stories 1 The housing benefits trap: when work just doesn’t pay Welfare Inquiry 2 Theo Paphitis: I bought a £100m business for £1 and two packs of Benson & Hedges Family Finances 3 Record fines for motorist victims of car cloning Family Finances 4 Premium Bonds are fun – until you realise what they are costing you Saving & Investing 5 Will Lyons: my vintage wine tour of South Australia Inspiration High Line, based in London and New York , comprises two imprints. Odessa describes itself as “the new global home for Jewish and Israeli fiction and non-fiction” and Antidote aims to publish “bold cross-spectrum non-fiction” from writers of all backgrounds. Lee Child, author of the blockbuster Jack Reacher series, is an executive committee member of High Line. In a recent article for The Bookseller , he talked of writers whose work had been deemed “untouchable” because of their background or their stance on controversial issues. “The result is that good books fall through the cracks,” he said. “There is room for a new kind of publisher … a small, brave outfit, like a first responder, willing to run toward the conflagration, not away from it, eager for a cacophonous riot of voices and angles, not answerable to corporate money — an outfit willing to publish and be damned.” Lee Child and Neil Blair Elodie Giuge Photography Writers are not the only Jewish creatives feeling the chill, as a report called The New Boycott Crisis found. Jewish artists and cultural practitioners have experienced a “marked increase in antisemitism”, according to the independent arts organisation Freedom in the Arts (Fita), which published the report last December. Advertisement A “wave of boycotts” had been levelled against Jewish artists since October 7, 2023, the report said, adding: “Exclusion may be triggered not by anything they have said or done but by their identity itself. Artists report severe psychological harm, self-censorship, cultural erasure, loss of income and, in several cases, symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress.” The picture is similar in the United States. A recent report by the Anti-Defamation League has exposed “systemic exclusion” of Jewish and Israeli artists across museums, entertainment and publishing. The band Oi Va Voi, which blends Eastern European folk music with electronic rhythms, had a gig cancelled by a Bristol venue in May last year. They believed the cancellation was because of the band’s Jewish roots and work with Israeli artists. The venue later admitted the decision had been a “mistake” and said the band would not have been scrutinised so closely if its members were not Jewish, but by then the financial and reputational damage was done. The drummer, Josh Breslaw, and his bandmates have launched a label, Parallel Skies, for talented newcomers who “just want to express themselves”, regardless of their backgrounds. Oi Va Voi with the Israeli singer Zohara, left Neither Blair nor Breslaw believed the arts were riddled with antisemitism, but said that a culture of fear and intimidation had taken root. Advertisement Blair said that cooling attitudes originated not with top executives but with junior employees. “Maybe one or two publishers might have some individual prejudice but, generally speaking, the issue is the young employees who could really pass as activists,” he said. “They think it’s right to demand the company doesn’t publish things they don’t agree with, and they threaten to go on strike or pile on on social media. Perhaps understandably, a lot of editors and publishers go for a quiet life.” Breslaw said: “I don’t believe most of the music industry ideologically has a position against Jews or a position on the Middle East. I think most of them are, frankly, just intimidated by online hate mobs. “Part of the problem with the kind of silent boycott we see is that you can’t ever quite put your finger on it. People who ordinarily you would have worked with before, or you might think would be interested, say, ‘no, I’ve got a full schedule at the moment’ or ‘my venue’s too busy’. “So you get this sense that although people may not be ideologically against, they’re intimidated by what may happen to them if they’re seen to be working with you. Advertisement Oi Va Voi members, from left, Nadine Galea, John Matts, Zohara Niddam, Josh Breslaw, Elizabeth Leondaritis, David Orchant and Steve Levi Tariana Gorilovsky Although the label intends to support Jewish talent that might otherwise be overlooked, it is open to musicians from all backgrounds who “just want to express themselves”, Breslaw said. “They don’t feel that they have to do a running commentary on geopolitics or this war or that war, this atrocity or that atrocity. They want to make music and they want to be free to do that.” Rosie Kay, a dancer and choreographer and a co-founder of Fita, described mixed feelings about the growing number of initiatives promoting Jewish creatives, including in comedy, music and visual arts. Rosie Kay Vibrant Pictures/Alamy “The growth of Jewish-led publishers, record labels and performance platforms is both inspiring and deeply worrying,” she said. “When talented artists believe they need parallel structures simply to work without concealing part of who they are, that tells us something has gone seriously wrong with the arts sector’s promises of inclusion. These initiatives can nurture work, rebuild confidence and bring artists together. Advertisement “But the long-term answer cannot be a separate Jewish cultural ecosystem. Jewish and Israeli artists must also be able to participate fully in mainstream British culture without facing political or ideological tests.”