"The decision of the Frankfurt Book Festival organizers to favor Israel has undermined the ideals of dialogue and efforts to foster mutual understanding between nations," said IKAPI Chairman Arys Hilman in a statement in Jakarta on Monday (16/10/2023). The Frankfurt Book Festival organizers' decision to expand Israel's presence and cancel an award for Palestinian author Adania Shibli, who wrote about a Palestinian woman raped by Israeli soldiers in 1949, seems to reflect the expansion of illegal settlements in Palestinian territory. "Palestine is an occupied land whose people have been driven from their homeland, and lately, they have lost even their basic human rights, such as access to water, food, and energy," he stated. Arys explained that book exhibitions should be a platform for fair dialogue and efforts to foster mutual understanding, particularly since books can play a role in advocating for peace and the eradication of oppression worldwide. "Supporting Israel while ignoring the suffering of the Palestinian people is akin to reading just one book and thinking you understand the entire world," Arys said. He underlined that Indonesia's government and people consistently support Palestinian independence, believing that the conflict will persist until Palestinians have the right to determine their own future. IKAPI was initially set to participate in the Frankfurt Book Festival from 18 to 22 October 2023 as part of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology's efforts to promote Indonesian culture on the global stage. (mg/inp/pr/nm)