"Dumbledore is an academic and he believes that certain channels of communication should always remain open."
After getting a lot of flak for signing an open letter condemning the Israel boycotts along with dozens of other authors and artists, "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling defended her stance by using an analogy with Dumbledore, Hogwarts' headmaster.
Earlier this June, many British and American artists have joined in on the BDS movement advocating for cultural boycotts, divestments and sanctions against the Israeli government for the decades-long violence it has inflicted on the Palestinian nation since 1948.
Last week, The Guardian published an open letter signed by an independent UK network called "Culture for Coexistence," endorsing cultural engagement with Israel and condemning the boycotts. One of the most prominent members of the group is Rowling, the world-renowned author of the "Harry Potter" series. Rowling's stance on the issue in particular has earned her a huge backlash from the social networking community.
Defending her stance on the issue, Rowling used an analogy from her "Harry Potter" book series, using Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rowling cited Dumbledore's style in dealing with conflicts to make a moral point that dialogue and not boycotts are needed to solve the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The author shared her sentiments on the issue in a TwitLonger post, entitled "Cultural boycotts." In her post, she voiced out her opinions and answered her readers' desire for answers.
"I have deplored most of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's actions in office. However, I do not believe that a cultural boycott will force Mr Netanyahu from power, nor have I ever heard of a cultural boycott ending a bloody and prolonged conflict," Rowling wrote.
In a second TwitLonger post, Rowling further defended her stance by pointing out the case of Dumbledore who chose dialogue over violence even in the midst of the Wizarding War.
"I think readers assume that Dumbledore is wise enough, knowledgeable enough and compassionate enough to sense that Snape, though he has led a despicable adult life, has something human left inside him, something that can be redeemed. Nevertheless, wise and prescient as Dumbledore is, he is not a Seer. At the moment when he answers Snape's call, he cannot know that Snape isn't going to try and kill him. He can't know that Snape will have the moral or physical courage to change course, let alone help defeat Voldemort. Yet still, Dumbledore goes to the hilltop."
Rowling further explained that boycotting Israel would affect all of its citizens, even those who are pro-Palestinian.
"What sits uncomfortably with me is that severing contact with Israel's cultural and academic community means refusing to engage with some of the Israelis who are most pro-Palestinian, and most critical of Israel's government. Those are voices I'd like to hear amplified, not silenced. A cultural boycott places immovable barriers between artists and academics who want to talk to each other, understand each other and work side-by-side for peace."
A lot of criticisms have been made against Rowling's statements, including an open letter by a self-proclaimed "Palestinian Potterhead," Mia Oudeh. In response to Rowling's posts, Oudeh shared a counter post on Facebook, which gained hundreds of shares.
"The letter you signed is a prime example of the 'good, unbiased Westerner approach' which actively ignores international law violations, dehumanises the indigenous Palestinians, and lazily sweeps Western responsibility under the carpet...," Oudeh wrote. "Can you imagine someone sitting Hermione and Bellatrix down, after Bellatrix has tortured Hermione, to talk things out?"
In an ironic turn of events, Rowling's call for unity and discourse has caused an even greater divide than she had hoped for.
