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Last update - 21:02 13/03/2008 Arab states boycott Paris book fair over Israel honor By Reuters Tags: Shimon Peres, Nicolas Sarkozy  The Paris Book Fair opened on Thursday under the cloud of a boycott by seven Muslim countries in protest against the choice of Israel as guest of honor at the French-speaking world's largest literary event. The international fair, featuring 39 Israeli writers and publishers, was due to be officially opened by visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres, who described the boycott as "the most ridiculous thing I have heard in my life". Algeria, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Yemen announced in advance they would shun the fair in response to a call from the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO). Advertisement The Morocco-based organization said last month it had urged the boycott to protest against Israel's actions against Palestinians. "The crimes against humanity Israel is perpetrating in the Palestinian territories ... constitute, in themselves, a strong condemnation of Israel, making it unworthy of being welcomed as a guest of honour," ISESCO said in a statement. It pointed out that Israel was being honoured in the year that the Jewish state marked the 60th anniversary of its creation. Among Israeli writers expected to take part were Amos Oz, David Grossman and Haaretz columnist Sayed Kashua, an Israeli Arab who writes in Hebrew. Peres, on a state visit to France, said on Wednesday: "I am against the boycott of books ... Books are written to awaken reflection, to try to make sense of ideas." Speaking to journalists on Thursday, David Martinon, spokesman for President Nicolas Sarkozy, said the boycott was regrettable, adding: "There is nothing to fear from books." The organisers said the object of the fair was to honor literature and denied that Israel had been chosen because of its 60th anniversary. Christine de Mazieres, speaking for the French Publishers' association which organises the fair, said last week: "What is happening in the Middle East is very sad, but it is not linked to our event." She added all the countries that had withdrawn were aware Israel was being honoured when they signed up and many of the Israeli writers taking part favoured a Palestinian state. A similar controversy is brewing about the May book fair in Turin, Italy, which is also highlighting Israeli works Bookmark to del.icio.us   Getting online, already A gov't official is planning the first Web site 'to connect all Jews around the world'. Naim to meet you French-Israeli folk singer Yael Naim isn't worried about becoming too commercial.   1.   You damn $%$^ arabs are never going to learn. STOP hating so much 16:32  |  cv 13/03/08   2.   GOD BLESS THE BOYCOTT!!! 16:49  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/03/08   3.   Book Fair Can Be a Home Run if!!!!!!!!!!! 17:01  |  Markus 13/03/08   4.   Re: 1, Yaakov Sullivan 17:24  |  Jabotinsky 13/03/08   5.   Boycot ,Yaakov 17:25  |  Elyah 13/03/08   6.   IS THIS NOT A ZIONIST WEBISTE ? 17:29  |  Younkele Brother 13/03/08   7.   Islamic awakening 17:30  |  Peter 13/03/08   8.   LEBANON A SHOCKER !! 17:31  |  Arik Silverman 13/03/08   9.   The Boycott by Arab States of the Book Fair where 17:38  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 13/03/08   10.   Arab States don`t Write much Anyway 17:39  |  Efox 13/03/08   11.   They`re illiterates anyway 17:39  |  Dani 13/03/08   12.   SULLIVAN OR SILLYVAN 17:41  |  ANDY 13/03/08   13.   Yay Boycott 17:42  |  Shoshanah 13/03/08   14.   Yaakov (?) Sullivan 17:56  |  Ehud 13/03/08   15.   Arab states boycott Paris book fair over Israel honor 17:57  |  Ahmad 13/03/08   16.   Arab states boycott Paris book fair over Israel honor 17:59  |  Sue Stockton 13/03/08   17.   Israel Celebrates 60 Years of Occupation and Oppression of Others 18:03  |  Johan Odin 13/03/08   18.   Too bad... 18:05  |  MarkC 13/03/08   19.   # 1 18:08  |  David B 13/03/08   20.   Missing information 18:15  |  nina 13/03/08   21.   arab state 18:24  |  maeva 13/03/08   22.   zionism is the greatest threat to the peace of the planet! 18:25  |  lakshmi 13/03/08   23.   #1 Yakov sullivan 18:26  |  Mustafa Ablafya 13/03/08   24.   Yaakov, are you for real??? 18:30  |  DR 13/03/08   25.   Of course... 18:32  |  Alex 13/03/08   26.   Israel is only there for propaganda purposes 18:34  |  Chanalau, Tova 13/03/08   27.   #1 - "Yaakov" Sullivan 18:37  |  MichaelF 13/03/08   28.   Crimes against humanity 18:38  |  fred unger 13/03/08   29.   Good Riddance to the Boycotters 18:41  |  MichaelF 13/03/08   30.   This really is stupid 18:46  |  Israeli 13/03/08   31.   Doesn`t matter 19:01  |  IW 13/03/08   32.   french press:"haaretz support the boycott" 19:03  |  arrow 13/03/08   33.   The first zionist 19:03  |  British academic 13/03/08   34.   GOD BLESS FRANCE... 19:10  |  Eric 13/03/08   35.   lol 19:14  |  Yehuda 13/03/08   36.   Less Arabs in attendance - great news 19:19  |  JW 13/03/08   37.   GOD BLESS ISRAEL!!!! 19:36  |  Séamus 13/03/08   38.   Who cares, most cannot read anyway... 19:40  |  Stephen. 13/03/08   39.   Democracy in the Arab countries. 19:43  |  Jean Van Daem 13/03/08   40.   SULLIVAN SILLINESS 19:43  |  Brant 13/03/08   41.   Yes, I am for real but #1 Is Not 19:49  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/03/08   42.   In response to Yaakov Sullivan 19:50  |  Mat 13/03/08   43.   More sale for the Jews 19:53  |  Adrian de Klerk 13/03/08   44.   It`s good that the Islamists will be staying at home 20:06  |  SystemF 13/03/08   45.   Yaakov Sullivan 20:07  |  Sam 13/03/08   46.   14 British Academic,the Old Testament was written by a group of 20:23  |  lakshmi 13/03/08   47.   So Israeli Arab authors get beat up abroad... 20:30  |  Aphemia 13/03/08   48.   Why DOn`t They Just Burn The Israeli Books 20:36  |  B`Galil 13/03/08   49.   WELL SAID MATT 20:38  |  Will 13/03/08   50.   Mat of LA doesnt know who he is writing to 20:45  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/03/08   51.   Boycott in Paris 20:46  |  Connie 13/03/08   52.   book fair boycott 20:54  |  uri k 13/03/08   53.   How juicy: Leftists getting shunned by dirt they protect 21:11  |  SLAVO 13/03/08   54.   Don`t give them a book: they`ve read one 21:17  |  x-ray 13/03/08   55.   #27. Lakshmi, new books,Mills & Boon..have 21:18  |  Stephen. 13/03/08   56.   They miss the chance 21:32  |  Rory 13/03/08   57.   Poor lakshmi offering opinion on religion!! 21:36  |  Rory 13/03/08   58.   Yaakov Sullivan, have you been mistreated by the Jews 21:38  |  mmm 13/03/08   59.   Who cares 22:06  |  Danite 13/03/08   60.   lakshmi 22:07  |  Danite 13/03/08   61.   Lakshmi PS 22:08  |  Danite 13/03/08   62.   They only like participating 22:14  |  Stevie the K 13/03/08   63.   To 45. Lashmi, 22:33  |  Jozef 13/03/08   64.   no big deal 22:45  |  leo 13/03/08   65.   21 lakshmi 22:48  |  leo 13/03/08   66.   #1 Yaakov S, re boycott 22:53  |  leo 13/03/08   67.   #40 - I was not being myself 22:59  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/03/08   68.   Paris Book Fair 23:00  |  Ricardo Kolbe 13/03/08   69.   56 Rory & other zionists who have addressed me! Rory,the 12 23:17  |  lakshmi 13/03/08   70.   Re: #1 Yakov Sullivan by Mustafa Ablafya 23:19  |  Stephen 13/03/08   71.   21 Lakshmi 23:31  |  Monroe Riddle 13/03/08   72.   #9 wrong, they write a lot and can`t publish their name or people 23:45  |  Simon Mohammed 13/03/08   73.   Yaakov Sullivan: Practice what you preach 00:13