An Open Letter to The Rumpus

“…I cannot stand by while supposedly smart, thoughtful, and vocal leaders in the literary world choose to misuse (or condone the misuse of) the word ‘genocide.'”

Recently, I was dumbstruck when you, Marisa Siegel, the (Jewish) editor-in-chief and owner of The Rumpus, used your literary magazine’s newsletter not just to condemn the violence committed by Israel in Gaza but to spread what reads as verbatim Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) propaganda, using wildly incorrect and incendiary words. On May 18th, I opened your newsletter, looking forward to Rumpus news but instead was jarred by your statement: “I’m Jewish, and I condemn the violence Israel has caused, is causing, will cause to Palestinians. This is genocide. This is apartheid. These are big words, and they are appropriate to use here.” (My emphasis.)

Is it tragic what happened in Gaza in May? Absolutely. Should the Israeli government be held accountable for policies and practices that cause unnecessary suffering for Palestinians? Yes, I believe it should. But is Israel committing genocide? Of course not. And it is obvious that despite having “words” as your profession and vocation, you do not seem to know which ones are appropriate to use in which contexts.

As a writer and active member of the literary community, both online and in my local Maine community, I cannot stand by while supposedly smart, thoughtful, and vocal leaders in the literary world choose to misuse (or condone the misuse of) the word “genocide.” Does your Board find your use of the term “genocide” appropriate, or is it just ignorant to the fact that the owner of the publication chooses to misuse it? (I am speaking to you, Cheryl Strayed, Roxane Gay, and Celeste Ng, etc. These are people whose writing and brains I admire and love, making me cringe as I write this.)

Israel can be held accountable for flawed policies and the enactment of such policies with regard to Palestinians, but genocide is not among them.