PEN American Boycott Campaign Update: PEN America Calling for Arms Embargo
6/24/25 - PEN American Boycott Campaign Update: PEN America Calling for Arms Embargo
After months of boycott, agitation, and pressure, PEN America has finally called for an arms embargo on U.S. military aid to the Zionist entity. This statement adopts the positions taken by PEN International and other PEN chapters around the world demanding the end of arms transfers to Israel. It likewise represents a dramatic shift in PEN America’s discursive approach to Palestine, which, since October 7th, obfuscated Israel’s genocide and normalized genocide denialism as a form of free speech worthy of the organization’s advocacy. This shift comes in the wake of the resignation of former CEO Suzanne Nossel, who we hold directly responsible for turning PEN America into an instrument of US foreign policy. Our boycott, powered by every writer, translator, and editor who stuck to their principles and withheld or withdrew from prizes, juries, and events, has made it clear to PEN America that the tacit normalization of Zionism is not only untenable, but a moral stain.
We know that we are winning. Our pressure campaign is working and transforming PEN’s infrastructure, which is why we must keep pushing. A rhetorical shift away from their well-documented genocide denialism is simply not enough: PEN America must put their money where their mouth is and make commitments to support writers on the ground in Gaza. PEN America’s cultural footprint is massive and influential in American media, and this statement must coincide with significant transformation to its internal policy and public messaging. We demand that PEN America:
Commit to highlighting and uplifting imprisoned Palestinian writers. This includes supporting efforts to free Palestinian prisoners, as well as strenuously opposing the repression of writers speaking up against the Zionist state both in Palestine and worldwide, especially in the shadow of the Trump administration;
Recognize the strategy, efficacy, and political necessity of boycott as a tactic, and cease the denigration of those involved in such campaigns. Apologize publicly to writers defamed in opinion pieces published by PEN America board members and allies in the wake of the awards and festival cancellations, and to Randa Jarrar, who was forcibly removed from an event on January 31, 2024;
Keep promises made about accountability structures; make those efforts transparent and open to staff and membership, and make the details broadly available to the general public
This campaign has revealed what is possible through principled, collective refusal, but this is not the time to let up. Until we see real change and consistent demonstrations of commitment to Palestinian life and dignity, the boycott will continue.
https://www.writersagainstthewarongaza.com/boycott-pen-america
