Exclusion of Palestinian academic from Australian festival sparks outrage and resignations

The exclusion of a Palestinian-Australian academic from a cultural festival in Adelaide, Australia, and her replacement with an American commentator supportive of the occupation, has sparked outrage among several members of the festival's board of directors, leading to their resignations and withdrawals from participants.

Sources said that the three resignations followed the withdrawal of 70 participants from the Book Week program after the invitation to academic and writer Randa Abdel-Fattah was rescinded.

Sources added that the Adelaide Festival is facing an unprecedented leadership crisis after the resignation of three of its board members: journalist Daniela Ritorto, businessman Donny Walford, and lawyer Nick Lenk, who decided to resign at a board meeting on Saturday after the decision to exclude Abdel-Fattah from the 2026 Book Week program.

Sources commented that the sudden departure followed the withdrawal of 70 writers from the festival scheduled for next month, and it remains unclear how the festival will achieve a quorum, which could impede its legal authority to make decisions regarding the 2026 event.

Under the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust Act 1998, the board must adhere to strict rules regarding gender balance. With Lenk's departure, only one man remains, Brenton Cox, the managing director of Adelaide Airport.

The law stipulates that there must be at least two men and two women on the board. The board has not issued any public comment since announcing the cancellation of Abdel-Fattah's participation last Thursday.

In a statement regarding the writer's exclusion, it expressed "deep shock and sadness at the tragic events that occurred in Bondi" and "the significant escalation in the intensity of societal tensions and debates."

The statement added: "As the board responsible for organizing the Adelaide Festival and all Adelaide Book Week events, including staff, volunteers, and participants, we informed Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah today, who was scheduled to participate in next month's Book Week events, that we have decided not to proceed with her scheduled participation."

The board stated that while it did not imply "in any way" any connection between Abdel-Fattah or her writings and what happened in Bondi, the decision was made "given her previous statements." The board added: "We have come to the conviction that it is culturally inappropriate to continue to include her in the festival program at this exceptional time and shortly after the events of Bondi."

Hours after the board's announcement, Abdel-Fattah issued her own statement, accusing the festival board of "blatant and shameful" racism against Palestinians and censorship. She described the board's attempt to link her to the Bondi massacre as "disgraceful."

On Sunday, Mark Lawyers in Sydney, on behalf of Abdel-Fattah, contacted the festival's chair, Tracey Whiting, demanding that she provide all statements made by the academic that played a role in the board's decision to exclude her from the 2026 program.

The letter sent by Mark's managing partner, Michael Bradley, stated: "Your letter informed Dr. Abdel-Fattah of the board's decision to exclude her from participating as a speaker at Adelaide Book Week in 2026." It also stated: "Your letter was the first indication Dr. Abdel-Fattah received that her participation was in doubt; there was no communication or consultation with her prior to the decision to exclude her."

Bradley said that the notification his client received from the board did not state any reason for its decision other than that "proceeding with her scheduled appearance would not be culturally sensitive."

However, Bradley noted that the board, in its public statement issued on Thursday, stated that her previous statements were the basis for its decision that allowing her to participate, shortly after the Bondi terrorist attack, would be culturally insensitive.

The legal letter stated: "As a matter of basic procedural fairness to Dr. Abdel-Fattah, please identify each of her previous statements that the board relied upon in making the decision, with details. She has the right to this information."

The firm gave the board until January 14 to respond, along with a request to Whiting and her sub-board to retain all documents related to the matter, in anticipation of any potential legal action.

Sources revealed on Sunday that the Book Week board had resisted attempts to exclude the pro-occupation New York Times writer, Thomas Friedman, from the 2024 Book Week program after he published a controversial article comparing the Middle East conflict to the animal kingdom. Abdel-Fattah accused the festival of not excluding Friedman from the festival that year, even though she and nine other academics lobbied for his exclusion.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas claimed that the festival excluded Friedman in 2024 and reiterated his support for the festival board's decision on Thursday to remove Abdel-Fattah from this year's program. In statements quoted by sources, he said through a spokesperson: "I note that the Adelaide Festival made a similar decision to exclude a Jewish writer from the 2024 Adelaide Book Week program under very similar circumstances." And "I support this decision, and the consistent application of this principle."

On Saturday, News Corp publications, part of Rupert Murdoch's empire, covered the Premier's statement, noting the apparent contradiction between the public outrage over Abdel-Fattah's exclusion, compared to Friedman's alleged exclusion two years prior, which did not spark the widespread boycott currently being witnessed by Book Week, making the holding of the 2026 events seem increasingly impossible. Contrary to the official's claims, the festival rejected a letter sent by Abdel-Fattah and nine academics on February 6, 2026, to the board demanding the withdrawal of Friedman's invitation due to his controversial article. However, the festival board, in a letter seen by sources, rejected this request to exclude Friedman. The letter stated: "Demanding that the Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Book Week cancel the participation of an artist or writer is a very serious request."

The letter was dated February 9, 2024, and signed by the chair of the Adelaide Festival board, Whiting. It stated: "We have an international reputation for upholding artistic freedom of expression. Thomas L. Friedman was scheduled to participate online from New York. However, I have been informed that due to unforeseen circumstances in his schedule, he will not be participating in this year's program." Sources contacted Friedman in New York for comment. After the announcement of her cancellation on Thursday, Abdel-Fattah accused the board of blatant and shameful racism against Palestinians and censorship.

She stated in remarks that she rejects accusations of "hypocrisy" after she demanded Friedman's exclusion in 2024.

She said in a statement: "Friedman's widely criticized article published in the New York Times compared various Arab and Islamic countries and groups to insects and pests that must be eradicated, at a time when the term 'human animals' was used to justify massacres in Gaza."

She added: "We were concerned about the impact of Friedman's views on socially and historically marginalized groups, who have been dehumanized and discriminated against using such racist stereotypes. In fact, one of the examples we provided was how Jews have historically been likened to vermin." She continued: "In contrast, I was canceled because my presence and identity as a Palestinian were deemed culturally insensitive and linked to the atrocities of Bondi. I was canceled because I am Palestinian and an outspoken advocate against the literal erasure of my people."

Abdel-Fattah pointed out that the festival board was hypocritical, as it had cited its commitment to "artistic freedom of expression" in its response to the Friedman case in 2024. She said: "All these alleged values were abandoned when it came time to cancel my participation."