'Israeli' author hit with rape, death threats after standing up for Gaza

• 'Israeli' author Tamar Raphael faced a wave of online threats after comments at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
• She publicly reaffirmed her stance, saying 'Israel’s' actions in Gaza amount to genocide.
• Nearly 2,000 hostile responses flooded social media, including threats of rape and murder.

'Israeli' writer Tamar Raphael issued a public response on Saturday after becoming the target of intense online harassment for remarks she made at the Frankfurt Book Fair, where she said 'Israel' had committed genocide in Gaza.

The controversy began after Haaretz reported in its Friday Hebrew edition that Raphael, who resides in Berlin and was sent to the fair as part of the Culture Ministry–supported 'Israeli' pavilion, wore a Palestinian-flag pin and openly criticized 'Israel’s' actions. The report circulated quickly on social media, amplified by right-wing influencers, and triggered an avalanche of backlash. Nearly 2,000 hostile replies, including explicit threats of rape and murder, were posted by their followers.

Among those attacking her were prominent far-right figures, including activist-rapper Yoav “The Shadow” Eliassi and Yinon Magal, a Channel 14 host known for his support of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Support also emerged. Hadash-Ta'al Knesset member Ayman Odeh voiced solidarity with Raphael, as did the literary magazine she writes for.

On Saturday, Raphael published her own account of the situation. "I was invited to participate in the Israeli delegation to the largest book fair in the world," she wrote. "I agreed, because anyone who writes a book wants to talk about it. The fact is that I'm an Israeli who opposes Israel's policy, an Israeli who calls genocide by its name and who is interested in international recognition of a Palestinian state and its establishment alongside the State of Israel. Participation in the Israeli delegation while expressing these positions is a coherent act that I am comfortable with morally and politically."

Her clarification, however, triggered further backlash online.

Speaking to Haaretz, she added that rejecting the invitation would have amounted to silencing herself. "From my standpoint, turning down the invitation to the delegation would have been boycotting myself," she said. "Not participating for political reasons would be boycotting Israeli culture. I wouldn't do that."

Raphael emphasized that her work is rooted in engagement with her Hebrew-speaking readership. "I'm writing in Hebrew for a Hebrew audience," she said. "Avoidance is the wrong sort of politics. It was clear to me that I would be the only one who would express such an opinion, but public money belongs to everyone, and this is a voice that exists among the public, among readers and certainly readers of my book."

She described her participation as an intentional political intervention. "From my standpoint, it was absolutely coherent and a political act using proper political means, and it was the little that I could do to amplify a voice that I thought was sane and correct."

Addressing the threats, Raphael said they reflect a troubling reality in 'Israeli' discourse. "It's obviously disgusting, and the sheer number of responses is disgusting, but it reflects the Israeli mainstream, which includes voices like The Shadow's and people like him."

Despite the uproar, she insisted she felt compelled to respond. "I didn't want to make a big deal out of this, but from the moment it got out, I had to address it," she explained.

For Raphael, the core message remains unchanged. "From my standpoint, calling for the end of the occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel within the framework of a two-state solution based on the Green Line, recognizing the crimes that Israel committed and continues to commit, that's the most important thing."