Poets Accuse Israel of Erasing Palestinian Culture and Life
Forty-six poets gathered at the 35th Medellín International Poetry Festival signed a joint statement denouncing Israel’s war in Gaza and what they described as a long-standing campaign to erase Palestinian identity.
At Medellín’s poetry festival, 46 poets condemned Israel’s campaign against Palestinian life, culture, and identity. Photo: @vivirpoblado
July 16, 2025 Hour: 12:22 am
Forty-six poets have accused Israel of destroying Palestinian culture and life in a joint statement released at the closing of the 35th Medellín International Poetry Festival in Colombia.
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The statement, issued on July 12, calls for an immediate halt to what the poets describe as a campaign of genocide in Gaza and a decades-long effort to erase Palestinian identity across the occupied territories.
“The Zionist regime has killed 58,479 Palestinians, mostly women and children,” reads the declaration, which denounces what it calls a “war of extermination and starvation.”
Their message goes beyond Gaza. The poets condemned systematic attacks on schools, libraries, museums, universities, and publishing houses, as well as the looting of cultural artifacts. They described these acts as part of a broader campaign to destroy Palestinian culture in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem (Al-Quds).
They went on to denounce the expansion of Israeli settlements, land confiscations, home demolitions, and daily arrests across the West Bank, where military checkpoints and movement restrictions have deeply impacted civilian life.
The signatories expressed their “unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people, their just cause, and their deeply rooted indigenous culture.” They argue that Israel’s assault is not only military but structural, cultural, and historical—an effort to silence an entire nation.
“The Palestinian people are not only defending their sacred and human heritage in their homeland,” the statement reads. “They are defending the idea of freedom itself. Global freedom is incomplete without Palestinian freedom.”
Among the festival’s featured guests was Palestinian poet Murad Sudani. Organizers also announced a future event to be held in Colombia: Collective Action in Defense of Palestine.
The poets’ call affirms the role of cultural resistance in confronting systemic violence. Their statement, delivered at a festival held under the theme “Poetry to Rebuild the Human Spirit,” reminds us that defending Palestine is also about defending “the spiritual values that bind us all.”
Author: MK
Source: HispanTV