Protests against Jonathan Conricus' participation at the Book Fair

The IDF's former spokesperson Jonathan Conricus participated in a conversation at the Sweden-Israel Friendship Association's stand during Thursday morning.

The program point has caused the Palestinian poet Bisan Edwan and the Egyptian poet and writer Iman Mersal to cancel their planned programs at the Book Fair.

- I have a clear red line. Jonatan Conricus is not just anyone with a different political position. He was a spokesperson for the Israeli military during the Gaza War. I can't read poetry in a room while there is military propaganda going on, says Bisan Edwan.

The book fair is supposed to be a place for free speech. Shouldn't you be allowed to have whatever program points you want then?

- Does a military representative have an automatic right to a cultural platform due to freedom of expression? No. Jonathan is entitled to his opinion, I have no problem with that. But giving him a cultural platform is a choice.

Edwan wants the Book Fair to explain its "ethical line as a cultural institution".

- A cultural institution has the right to make its own decisions, but must also take the consequences of that.

"Understand that people are upset"

Oskar Ekström, director of the book fair, answers:

- We understand that people are upset and take this very seriously. We ourselves have not invited him (Conricus), nor have we been involved in arranging the program item. Our exhibitors arrange over 3,000 program items and it is an editorial responsibility they have. We take responsibility for having said yes to the Friendship Association as an exhibitor at the Book Fair.

David Lega, chairman of the Sweden-Israel Friendship Association, is satisfied with the booking:

- Jonathan has enormous competence, experience and knowledge regarding the conflicts we are currently seeing in the Middle East now, not least since the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. That is why we want to include him and his perspective.

The municipality wanted to end the sanctuary grant

Bisan Edwan is currently a sanctuary writer in Lund municipality.

Last winter, Expressen reported that she called for celebrations after the Hamas attack on October 7 in social media, which made Lund's cultural committee want to terminate her scholarship prematurely.

Edwan replied that the posts were taken out of context and that she was using her freedom of speech

The municipality later backtracked on the decision because it was found to be in violation of the Freedom of Expression Act.