500 literary figures call on the freedom-of-speech group to respond to ‘extraordinary threat that Israel’s genocide of Palestinians represents for the lives of writers’ The organization subsequently expressed ‘hope’ that a ceasefire will be reached, but some writers find this response to be unsatisfactory LONDON: Several authors in the US have criticized PEN America, a nongovernmental organization that advocates for freedom of expression, for its stance on the war in Gaza, after the organization expressed “hope” that a ceasefire would be reached in the embattled Palestinian enclave. It comes after more than 500 writers and literary professionals signed a strongly-worded open letter to the organization urging it to respond to “the extraordinary threat that Israel’s genocide of Palestinians represents for the lives of writers in Palestine and to freedom of expression everywhere.” The letter, dated Feb. 3, condemned PEN America for remaining “silent” about the “Palestinian journalists, writers and poets murdered by Israel” other than in “press releases buried on its website.” PEN America issued a statement on Feb. 7, saying it was “anguished about the direct impact of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas on writers, artists, culture.” It added: “We hope that the multinational negotiations now under way will lead to a mutually agreed upon ceasefire, ending deadly airstrikes, and that a resolution can be reached that will save lives in the region, preserve rich and varied cultures, and pave the way toward a lasting peace that enables freedom and creativity for all.” But some of the writers found this response unsatisfactory. In a message posted on social media platform X, novelist Eman Quotah wrote: “Don’t ‘hope’ for a ceasefire, PEN America, CALL for one like other PEN Centers have done.” The signatories of the Feb. 3 letter said PEN America “should disband” if it “cannot live up to its mission of protecting, platforming and amplifying those writers made most marginalized by nefarious forces.” They demanded that the organization “wakes up from its own silent, tepid, neither-here-nor-there self-congratulatory middle of the road” and do the “bare minimum” by taking “an actual stand against an actual genocide.” The Committee to Protect Journalists has said that 85 journalists and media workers, 78 of them Palestinians, are confirmed to have died in Gaza since Oct. 7, when Israel launched its bombing campaign in the territory in retaliation for deadly Hamas attacks in southern Israel. The onslaught has also killed several poets and writers, including Refaat Alareer, often referred to as “the voice of Gaza.”