IKBF 2027: Appeal to Withdraw the Proposal to make Israel as Theme Country
IKBF 2027: Appeal to Withdraw the Proposal to make Israel as Theme Country
The Issue
To
The Publishers & Booksellers Guild
Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC)
National Book Trust (NBT)
Subject: Appeal to withdraw the proposal to make Israel the Theme Country of International Kolkata Book Fair 2027
Dear Sir/Madam,
We, the undersigned publishers, writers, cultural organisations and concerned individuals, are writing to express our strong opposition to the reported proposal to make Israel the Theme Country of the International Kolkata Book Fair 2027 (IKBF-2027).
We appeal to the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and the National Book Trust to withdraw this proposal.
The International Kolkata Book Fair is not merely a commercial exhibition of books. It is one of India's most important cultural spaces, associated with the democratic, intellectual and progressive traditions of Bengal. At a time when the Palestinian people are undergoing an unprecedented catastrophe, according the State of Israel the special status of Theme Country would be deeply inconsistent with the values of human freedom, anti-colonialism, peoples' self-determination and opposition to oppression that have historically animated our society.
Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza
Our objection is particularly urgent because of the continuing genocide being perpetrated against Palestinians in Gaza.
This is not merely a political characterisation made by activists or organisations. In September 2025, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel concluded that Israeli authorities and Israeli security forces had committed and were continuing to commit four of the five underlying acts defined as genocidal under Article II of the Genocide Convention:
- killing members of the protected group;
- causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
- deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the group, in whole or in part; and
- imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.
The Commission further concluded that these acts were committed with the requisite specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, in whole or in part, as a group, and consequently found the State of Israel responsible for the commission of genocide, as well as for failing to prevent and punish it. The Commission's determination was based on its examination of Israeli military operations, the killing and serious injury of Palestinians on an unprecedented scale, the siege and obstruction of humanitarian aid, starvation, the systematic destruction of healthcare and educational infrastructure, attacks on cultural and religious sites, sexual and gender-based violence, the targeting of children and Israel's disregard of provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice.
The Commission also found that statements by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant constituted direct and public incitement to genocide. In June 2026, the same Commission reiterated that Israel was continuing to commit genocide and other atrocity crimes, including through the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children.
The human cost of this genocide is staggering. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, by 9 September 2026, at least 73,669 Palestinians had been killed and 174,652 injured since 7 October 2023. The Ministry has also stated that many victims remain beneath the rubble or inaccessible to rescue teams, meaning that the actual toll is likely higher.
These figures represent human beings—children, parents, students, teachers, writers, doctors, workers and entire families. Much of Gaza's civilian infrastructure has been devastated, and the population has experienced repeated mass displacement and the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, universities, cultural institutions and places of worship.
India’s Long-standing Position in favor of Palestinian statehood and Israel's continuing opposition to it
The question is also directly connected with India's long-standing position in favour of Palestinian statehood. India has historically supported the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine. This position has continued under successive Indian governments.
Most recently, under the present government, India reaffirmed this position through its role in the 2026 BRICS New Delhi Summit. The New Delhi Declaration, unanimously adopted by the BRICS leaders, reaffirmed that a just and lasting solution requires fulfilment of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their rights to self-determination and return. It also reaffirmed support for Palestine's full membership of the United Nations and for an independent State of Palestine. The declaration also opposed the forced displacement of Palestinians and attempts to alter the demographic or geographic character of occupied Palestinian territory.
This is particularly significant because the proposal to make Israel the Theme Country would place an Indian cultural institution in a position that appears fundamentally at odds with India's own officially reaffirmed diplomatic position.
Moreover, the present Israeli leadership has repeatedly acted against the possibility of a Palestinian state.
On 21 September 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly stated: "There will be no Palestinian state to the west of the Jordan River."
In the same statement, Netanyahu claimed that he had prevented the creation of such a state for years and declared that Israel had doubled Jewish settlement in the West Bank and would continue on that path.
Thus, while India continues to affirm its support for a sovereign Palestinian state, the present Israeli government openly declares its opposition to the establishment of such a state and continues to expand settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.
We therefore make one clear demand: The proposal to make the State of Israel the Theme Country of the International Kolkata Book Fair 2027 must be withdrawn. Israel should not be accorded the status of Theme Country of IKBF-2027.
We hope that the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and the National Book Trust will take this appeal seriously and ensure that the 50th edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair is not associated with the legitimisation or normalisation of genocide, occupation, settler colonialism and the denial of Palestinian self-determination.
We appeal to the organisers to uphold the values of anti-colonialism, human dignity, freedom and peoples' right to self-determination that are inseparable from India's own historical experience.
Yours sincerely,
The undersigned publishers, writers, cultural organisations and concerned individuals
341
The Issue
To
The Publishers & Booksellers Guild
Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC)
National Book Trust (NBT)
Subject: Appeal to withdraw the proposal to make Israel the Theme Country of International Kolkata Book Fair 2027
Dear Sir/Madam,
We, the undersigned publishers, writers, cultural organisations and concerned individuals, are writing to express our strong opposition to the reported proposal to make Israel the Theme Country of the International Kolkata Book Fair 2027 (IKBF-2027).
We appeal to the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and the National Book Trust to withdraw this proposal.
The International Kolkata Book Fair is not merely a commercial exhibition of books. It is one of India's most important cultural spaces, associated with the democratic, intellectual and progressive traditions of Bengal. At a time when the Palestinian people are undergoing an unprecedented catastrophe, according the State of Israel the special status of Theme Country would be deeply inconsistent with the values of human freedom, anti-colonialism, peoples' self-determination and opposition to oppression that have historically animated our society.
Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza
Our objection is particularly urgent because of the continuing genocide being perpetrated against Palestinians in Gaza.
This is not merely a political characterisation made by activists or organisations. In September 2025, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel concluded that Israeli authorities and Israeli security forces had committed and were continuing to commit four of the five underlying acts defined as genocidal under Article II of the Genocide Convention:
- killing members of the protected group;
- causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
- deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the group, in whole or in part; and
- imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.
The Commission further concluded that these acts were committed with the requisite specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, in whole or in part, as a group, and consequently found the State of Israel responsible for the commission of genocide, as well as for failing to prevent and punish it. The Commission's determination was based on its examination of Israeli military operations, the killing and serious injury of Palestinians on an unprecedented scale, the siege and obstruction of humanitarian aid, starvation, the systematic destruction of healthcare and educational infrastructure, attacks on cultural and religious sites, sexual and gender-based violence, the targeting of children and Israel's disregard of provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice.
The Commission also found that statements by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant constituted direct and public incitement to genocide. In June 2026, the same Commission reiterated that Israel was continuing to commit genocide and other atrocity crimes, including through the deliberate targeting of Palestinian children.
The human cost of this genocide is staggering. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, by 9 September 2026, at least 73,669 Palestinians had been killed and 174,652 injured since 7 October 2023. The Ministry has also stated that many victims remain beneath the rubble or inaccessible to rescue teams, meaning that the actual toll is likely higher.
These figures represent human beings—children, parents, students, teachers, writers, doctors, workers and entire families. Much of Gaza's civilian infrastructure has been devastated, and the population has experienced repeated mass displacement and the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, universities, cultural institutions and places of worship.
India’s Long-standing Position in favor of Palestinian statehood and Israel's continuing opposition to it
The question is also directly connected with India's long-standing position in favour of Palestinian statehood. India has historically supported the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine. This position has continued under successive Indian governments.
Most recently, under the present government, India reaffirmed this position through its role in the 2026 BRICS New Delhi Summit. The New Delhi Declaration, unanimously adopted by the BRICS leaders, reaffirmed that a just and lasting solution requires fulfilment of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including their rights to self-determination and return. It also reaffirmed support for Palestine's full membership of the United Nations and for an independent State of Palestine. The declaration also opposed the forced displacement of Palestinians and attempts to alter the demographic or geographic character of occupied Palestinian territory.
This is particularly significant because the proposal to make Israel the Theme Country would place an Indian cultural institution in a position that appears fundamentally at odds with India's own officially reaffirmed diplomatic position.
Moreover, the present Israeli leadership has repeatedly acted against the possibility of a Palestinian state.
On 21 September 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly stated: "There will be no Palestinian state to the west of the Jordan River."
In the same statement, Netanyahu claimed that he had prevented the creation of such a state for years and declared that Israel had doubled Jewish settlement in the West Bank and would continue on that path.
Thus, while India continues to affirm its support for a sovereign Palestinian state, the present Israeli government openly declares its opposition to the establishment of such a state and continues to expand settlements in occupied Palestinian territory.
We therefore make one clear demand: The proposal to make the State of Israel the Theme Country of the International Kolkata Book Fair 2027 must be withdrawn. Israel should not be accorded the status of Theme Country of IKBF-2027.
We hope that the Publishers & Booksellers Guild, the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre and the National Book Trust will take this appeal seriously and ensure that the 50th edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair is not associated with the legitimisation or normalisation of genocide, occupation, settler colonialism and the denial of Palestinian self-determination.
We appeal to the organisers to uphold the values of anti-colonialism, human dignity, freedom and peoples' right to self-determination that are inseparable from India's own historical experience.
Yours sincerely,
The undersigned publishers, writers, cultural organisations and concerned individuals
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on 18 September 2026