Adler argues the disinvitation signals broader pressure on speech: Louise Adler wrote that disinviting Randa Abdel-Fattah was a blow to free expression and said pro-Israel lobbyists are using “increasingly extreme and repressive” tactics that create a chilling effect on speech in Australia.

The festival board links the disinvitation to cultural sensitivity concerns tied to the Bondi attack: The board said it disinvited Abdel-Fattah after deciding her appearance would not be “culturally sensitive” in the wake of the Bondi Beach mass shooting.

Abdel-Fattah says the decision reflects anti-Palestinian racism and misassociation with the attack: Randa Abdel-Fattah called her removal “a blatant and shameless act of anti-Palestinian racism” and a “despicable attempt to associate me with the Bondi massacre”.