British Council statement on Pal Fest
03 May 2012
Susie Nicklin, Director of Literature at the British Council, said:
"The British Council has supported Pal Fest since its inception. However our support of the Pal Fest literature programme is not an endorsement of the 2004 Palestinian call for the academic and cultural boycott of Israel.
The British Council is a non-political organisation, and we believe that international cultural exchange makes a powerful contribution to a more peaceful, tolerant and prosperous world. Therefore the British Council does not support cultural or academic boycotts. Our long record of work in educational and cultural programmes in both Israel and the Palestinian Territories clearly demonstrates this. For example, as well as supporting Pal Fest, we are also supporting the International Writers Festival in Jerusalem this month, and have long supported Jewish Book Week in the UK. We actively support international higher education in both countries.”
