Since the announcement of the normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE, Palestinian and Arab writers and intellectuals have announced their withdrawal from cultural activities and awards organized by the UAE, to express their rejection of the normalization of relations with Israel and their support for the Palestinian cause.

Palestinian photographer Muhammad Badarneh was one of the first to withdraw from a photo exhibition organized by the Sharjah Art Foundation.

He wrote on his Facebook page, in both Arabic and English, addressing the Foundation, "Out of my belief that unless art is engaged in humanitarian and justice issues, it has no value, I announce my withdrawal from your exhibition."

"It was not a decision to withdraw that needs much thought," Badarneh, who lives in Berlin, told the French press. "As part of the people under occupation, we must take positions against everything related to reconciliation with the occupation and turn it into a normal state."

Badarneh was due to participate in the exhibition "Point of View 8" on August 29, with photos from his collection "Everyday Palstein".

The Palestinian artist explains that it is not the first time that he has decided to withdraw from artistic activities because of its "connection to the occupation."

withdrawal

On August 13, an agreement was announced to normalize relations between Israel and the UAE, with US mediation.

On Saturday, Abu Dhabi repealed the Boycott of Israel Law, which came into effect in 1972.

The Palestinians condemned the Emirati move, which they considered "a stab in the back."

Palestinian Minister of Culture Atef Abu Seif called on Arab intellectuals to "line up in order to preserve our Arab identity."

From the Jordanian capital, Amman, the Palestinian poet and novelist Ahmed Abu Salim announced the withdrawal of the nomination of his novel "Promethana" for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IAF).

The award is organized with the support of the Abu Dhabi Culture and Tourism Department. Abu Salim says to Agence France-Presse that it is a step "consistent with my pre-literary humanistic orientations and an introduction to my role in change."

The Palestinian novelist believes that "the prize in this case is not obtaining the prize, but obtaining it would be a sin."

Palestinian writer and academic Khaled Al-Hroub confirmed that he refused to chair the jury for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction this year, knowing that he is a former member of its board of trustees.

The Moroccan poet Mohamed Bennis announced his withdrawal from the membership of the scientific body of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, which bears the name of the first president of the UAE.

Since August 13, the Emirati writer Dhabia Khamis, who considered it a "sad and catastrophic day," has not stopped sharing posts with her followers expressing her rejection of the agreement.

In one of them, she wrote, “No to normalization with Israel in the Emirates and the Arab Gulf, Israel is the enemy of the entire Arab nation.”

Normal response

Intellectuals in Bahrain, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Algeria, Iraq, Tunisia, and other Arab countries confirmed their rejection of the Israeli-Emirati agreement, in statements and posts on social media.

The Palestinian National Committee for the Boycott of Israel (BDS) welcomed this boycott, which it considered a "natural response."

Omar Barghouti, one of the founders of the committee, said, "These withdrawals were not only in response to the call launched by the boycott movement, but also as a natural, patriotic response from Arab intellectuals."

He considered that the boycott "heralds that this alliance (...) will only be rejected and betrayed by the majority of Arab peoples, including the peoples of the Gulf countries."

Al-Barghouti pointed out that the UAE’s abolition of the boycott of Israel law "consecrates the alliance between two criminal regimes, and a message hostile to the Arab peoples, including the Palestinian people."

In turn, the cultural affairs journalist Saida Sharif said that the positions of the Moroccan writers "are not surprising, and reflect the emotional and historical relationship that unites Moroccans with Palestine."

Saida added - in a previous statement to Al-Jazeera Net - that Moroccan intellectuals and creative people announced in many stations their support for the Palestinian people, and their rejection of any normalization steps that undermine their rights and dignity.

She indicated that the withdrawal from the Sheikh Zayed Prize and Emirati cultural institutions will be followed by other steps that will be announced by the Moroccan cultural fabric, to reject all forms of normalization.

She pointed out that the UAE is trying to play the role of a "fake leadership" in the region after it lost its wars in Yemen and Libya, and tried to intervene in Tunisian and Moroccan affairs, but it failed, and all it has to do is "pay attention to its internal home that is steeped in problems."

17 Arab writers, novelists and poets signed the statement calling for an end to Emirati funding for the award (Al Jazeera)

Collective statement

Seventeen former winners of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction, as well as chairmen and members of jury committees and former members of the Board of Trustees of various Arab nationalities, signed an appeal to the Award's Board of Trustees calling for the suspension of Emirati funding for it.

"In light of the official normalization of the UAE with the Israeli colonial settlement entity (...), we call on the current Board of Trustees to assume its historical cultural responsibility in protecting the award by ending the Emirati funding, in order to preserve the award's credibility and independence."

Abu Salim returned to say that withdrawals may negatively affect their owners, but he adds, "I am an educated biased towards Palestine, regardless of the cost."

He explains that "those who control cultural events are mostly official parties, and therefore we will be excluded from these activities."

For his part, Badarneh says that participation in exhibitions represents "an opportunity to present the artistic vision and present issues and competition as well (...) but there are balance and standards that we must follow."

This may explain why some people prefer silence over giving up privileges such as such cultural participation.

Mawassi, the Palestinian poet and managing director of "Palestinian Cultural Space," comments, "Many of the people of culture in the Arab world will practice silence towards the challenge to Palestinian rights and freedoms, enjoying the opportunities and privileges provided by Emirati money."

He also believes that the Arab and Islamic street will not be affected by the agreement to normalize relations culturally.

Mawassi cites the peace agreements signed by Israel with Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994), saying, "The people of Jordanian and Egyptian culture and art still refuse to cooperate with anything related to Israel," despite the passage of time.