An anti-Israel resolution was rejected by members of the Society of Authors in a vote at a General Meeting of the Society on 2 May 2024. 786 members in favour of the resolution were outnumbered by 883 against.

Amongst other allegations, the proposed resolution claimed that “At the time of writing, 14th March, 2024, more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli government’s offensive in the occupied Gaza Strip since October 7th, 2023. This includes at least 13,000 children, with more than 73,000 injured, and 1.7 million displaced.”

 It also asserted that “On 26th January, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found it plausible that Israel’s attacks on Gaza could amount to genocide” and that “At least 95 journalists and media workers have been killed as a consequence of Israeli military action since October 7^th, 2023.”

The proposed resolution would have required the Society 

1. To issue a public statement in support of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
2. to issue a public statement condemning the targeting of Palestinian writers and journalists by the Israeli government.
3. To issue a public statement affirming the rights of those affected to receive justice for those killed by the Israeli government.
4. To issue a public statement affirming support for publishing workers facing direct or indirect censorship for their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
5. To issue a public statement condemning the destruction of Palestinian cultural infrastructure by the Israeli government, including but not limited to, libraries and universities.”

UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) were contacted by a concerned member of the Society. Responding to this contact, Jonathan Turner, UKLFI Chief Executive, and Jonathan Lopian, barrister, observed that the proposed resolution was unlawful since large parts of it were outside the objects of the Society, namely: “to protect the rights and further the interests of authors (and their assignees and representatives) of every kind of works and publications”.

UKLFI warned that the resolution could be subject to legal challenge by members of the Society. The Society’s Management Committee decided to go ahead with the vote, but advised members to vote against the resolution in order to avoid the Society getting involved in divisive political issues outside its mission.

UKLFI also Tweeted that the proposed resolution was based on fictions. UKLFI’s Tweets referred to numerous analyses showing that Palestinian casualty figures produced by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry are fabricated and/or manipulated.

UKLFI also pointed out that the President of the ICJ who made the Order referred to in the draft resolution has now confirmed that the Court did not find that South Africa’s claim of genocide was plausible. UKLFI also drew attention to David Collier’s research showing that many Gazans posing as journalists are in fact terrorists.

These Tweets have received over 35,000 views.

Jonathan Turner, UKLFI Chief Executive, said: “We are pleased that a majority of the Society’s members have rejected this latest attempt to misuse an organisation to promote false propaganda against Israel that has nothing to do with its worthy objects.”

UKLFI are very grateful to Jonathan Lopian for his assistance in this matter.