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Article: Israel's Peres opens Paris book fair amid boycott by some Arab officials, intellectuals
- Article from:
- AP Worldstream
- Article date:
- March 13, 2008
- Author:
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Opening the Paris Book Fair this year should have been a low-key cultural event during Israeli President Shimon Peres' state visit to France. Instead, it was charged with Middle East tensions, with a boycott by some Arab nations upset this year's fair honors Israeli writers.
Peres praised the power of books and words, "living organisms," and their contribution to Israel and Israelis. The boycott, he said, is an action that can hurt only those involved.
"Those who want to burn books, boycott wisdom, prevent reflection, block freedom condemn themselves to blindness, ignorance, to lack of reflection, loss of freedom," Peres said in his only reference to the ...