Masha Gessen was supposed to receive the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought. However, the institutions behind the award, the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Senate of the City of Bremen, decided not to proceed with the ceremony. This decision came after Gessen wrote an article titled "In the Shadow of the Holocaust." In this article, published in The New Yorker, Gessen drew comparisons between the besieged Gaza Strip and the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw. The Heinrich Böll Foundation disagreed with these comparisons, and as a result, both institutions opted to withdraw from the event, causing controversy and leading to the cancellation of the award presentation.
This award aims to honor people who contribute meaningfully to public discussions about politics, following the path set by Hannah Arendt. Arendt, a German-born American political thinker, extensively studied totalitarianism, and this award celebrates those who, like her, help us better understand political ideas in society.
On another note, Masha Gessen, the Russian-American writer, was awarded a German literary prize on Saturday, December 16, at a small-scale event attended by a very limited audience. They were recognized for her insightful article that explored the intricate realities within the Gaza Strip during the recent war. In this compelling piece, Gessen drew thought-provoking connections, highlighting the similarities between Gaza and the Jewish neighborhoods that existed in Germany during the Nazi era.
The Hannah Arendt Prize
As per the information available on the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s website, the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought came into being in 1994. Its main goal is to celebrate people who have a unique ability and talent for recognizing important, yet often unnoticed, aspects of today's political landscape. As mentioned by the Foundation on its official website, these writers are known and distinguished for their fearlessness in participating and engaging in public discussions and expressing their thoughts and viewpoints, even when dealing with controversial political issues.
It is worth noting that the award ceremony for the Hannah Arendt Prize was postponed. This delay came about because the Heinrich Boll Foundation decided to distance itself from the event. The reason behind this decision was an essay written by the prize recipient, Masha Gessen for her article “In the Shadow of the Holocaust.” The essay discussed Israel's severe siege and attack on the Gaza Strip, leading to the Foundation's withdrawal from the ceremony.
In the Shadow of the Holocaust
Gessen wrote the essay titled "In the Shadow of the Holocaust," which was published in The New Yorker on December 9.
In their article, Gessen shed light on the tragedy and harsh conditions endured by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip over the past 17 years. They highlighted their struggles, such as the inability to travel easily and move freely in and out of the Gaza Strip, comparing Gaza's situation to that of a ghetto. Gessen stated, "For the last seventeen years, Gaza has been a densely populated, impoverished, enclosed area where only a small fraction of the population had the right to leave, even temporarily – essentially, a ghetto."
They began by detailing the difficulties and severe circumstances faced by Gazans during over two consecutive months of bombings, destruction, and various forms of killing. Gessen emphasized that all segments of Gaza's population were constantly and randomly exposed to death and bombardment, mentioning, "On average, a child is killed in Gaza every ten minutes. Israeli bombs have targeted hospitals, maternity wards, and ambulances."
In the article, Gessen criticized Israel's treatment of Palestinians, specifically within the Gaza Strip. They mentioned in the article that Gaza resembles "a Jewish ghetto in an Eastern European country occupied by Nazi Germany."
During an interview with Middle East Eye, Masha Gessen emphasized the importance of using language to describe the difficult conditions faced by Palestinians in Gaza. They said, “I think it’s important to use the word ghetto is because it gives us language for what is happening now, which is that the ghetto is being liquidated. And the reason why I think that’s important, is because after the holocaust humanity said, never again.”
A Widespread Wave of Criticism Directed at Gessen
According to an article published by The Guardian, The Heinrich Böll Foundation stated that it “objected to and rejected a comparison made by Gessen in a 9 December essay in The New Yorker between Gaza and the Jewish ghettos in Europe.” This is because of Gessen's criticism of Germany and its unconditional support for Israel.
During an interview with Democracy Now on December 15, Gessen criticized Germany's ongoing and unwavering support for Israel. They mentioned that Germany has actively obstructed any forms of solidarity with the Palestinian cause as part of its flawed efforts to combat anti-Semitism. Gessen further added that if we aim to learn from historical events, it's essential to compare current situations with past occurrences.
As reported in a recent article by the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung, the Bremen branch of the German-Israeli Society (DIG) strongly condemned Gessen's remarks on the Gaza situation. They urged the suspension of the scheduled award ceremony. In an open letter, the Bremen DIG stated that honoring Gessen, a Jewish writer whose grandfather was killed by the Nazis, would "contradict the necessary decisive action against the growing anti-Semitism."
In a recent post on their X platform account, Gessen mentioned that they have not received any contact from German media concerning the controversy surrounding the Arendt Prize.
According to FAIR, a national media watch group, Gessen's article has stirred significant controversy as it scrutinized Israel, making her a target for pro-Israel censorship. Harvard Business School also voiced objections to Gessen's piece because of its comparison between Gaza and Jewish neighborhoods in Europe. Moreover, Gessen referred to the 2019 Bundestag resolution that labeled the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel as antisemitic. They remarked, "the spectre of antisemitism is a perfect, cynically wielded political instrument, both a ticket to the political mainstream and a weapon that can be used against Muslim immigrants." Additionally, Gessen criticized Germany's ongoing support for Israel.
FAIR pointed out the irony in naming an award after German-Jewish philosopher and journalist Hannah Arendt, whose work focused on the rise of German fascism, while simultaneously censoring another Jewish journalist for writing about authoritarianism's rise and advocating for oppressed Palestinians in Gaza, who have faced prolonged persecution, killings, and displacement.
The Danger of Cancelling Pro-Palestinian Voices
Often, when people advocate for Palestinian rights and call for fair treatment of Palestinians, their voices are silenced or unfairly labeled as anti-Semitic. They are simply trying to support the rights of Palestinians and bring an end to the ongoing violence caused by Israel to the Palestinian people.
A recent article on Misbar covered the pro-Palestinian protests happening on October 28 across several European countries. The protestors were asking for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and stressing the importance of securing their rights to live in peace. Despite these genuine intentions, these demonstrations have been unfairly criticized and labeled as anti-Semitic by some pro-Israel groups, completely missing the point of advocating for Palestinian rights and a peaceful resolution.
In another incident, award-winning actress Susan Sarandon was dismissed from her talent agency due to her prior supportive comments regarding Palestine, effectively bringing her career to a complete halt. These occurrences and persistent attempts to suppress and restrain voices advocating for Palestine could serve as an approval to Israel to continue committing further injustices and massacres against the Palestinian population in Gaza and the West Bank. Gessen's situation will not be the last; depriving them to receive the Hannah Arendt Prize explicitly indicates ongoing efforts to silence any pro-Palestinian voices demanding complete rights for Palestinians. Moreover, any voices or protests in support of Palestine will likely face direct accusations of being anti-Semitic.
In a report issued by Human Rights Watch on December 20, 2023, it was highlighted that Meta's policies are substantially leading to the suppression of voices supporting the Palestinian cause on both Facebook and Instagram. The report pointed out the unjustified policy of censoring and removing peaceful content that advocates for Palestinians. This is part of the strategies and policies being implemented, primarily aimed at silencing voices that support Palestinians.
Read More
