Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson for Arab Media, Ofir Gendelman, recently accused the organizers of the Tehran International Book Fair of showcasing "dozens of anti-Semitic books on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day." Gendelman made the comment in a tweet along with pictures of the visit of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the book fair as well as covers of some books adorned with the Star of David. The hard-line Iranian Fars news agency reciprocated the allegation by saying that Tel Aviv never misses a chance to spread anti-Iran propaganda. Fars further accused Israel of having used the Holocaust for years "as an excuse to counter any criticism of the Zionist regime's policies." The statement was made while Iran marked Resistance Day on the third day of the book fair, which ended May 4.
These allegations help show how literature has become a coveted domain for opposing powers whose overt and covert conflicts threaten the prospect of peace in the world.
