You of course know why.
She did so because she was “shocked” that there was to be no denunciation of Israel for what Roy calls its “genocide” in Gaza. The German organizers of the film festival said that they would not allow the festival to be the place where “political” views would be aired, taking attention away from the purpose of the festival itself.
“Arundhati Roy quits Berlin film festival over Wenders’ Gaza remarks,” Agence France-Presse, February 14, 2026:
Roy said in a statement sent to AFP that she was “shocked and disgusted” by responses from Wenders and other jury members to a question about the Palestinian territory at a press conference on Thursday.
Roy, whose novel “The God of Small Things” won the 1997 Booker Prize, had been announced as a festival guest to present a restored version of the 1989 film “In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones”, in which she starred and wrote the screenplay.
However, she said that the “unconscionable” statements by Wenders and other jury members had led her to reconsider, “with deep regret”.
When asked about Germany’s support for Israel at a press conference on Thursday, Wenders said: “We cannot really enter the field of politics”, describing filmmakers as “the counterweight to politics”.
Fellow jury member Ewa Puszczynska said it was a “little bit unfair” to expect the jury to take a direct stance on the issue.
Roy said in her statement that “to hear them say that art should not be political is jaw-dropping”.
She described Israel’s actions in Gaza as “a genocide of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel”.
“If the greatest filmmakers and artists of our time cannot stand up and say so, they should know that history will judge them,” she said.
The writer Arundhati Roy is careless with words. She does not understand what “genocide” is. So let’s explain it to her: genocide is the deliberately intended killing of people on the basis of their race, ethnicity, and religion.
How many people, do you think, all over this giddy globe, merely by dint of repetition in the media and on social media, now believe that Israel has been committing “genocide” in Gaza? How many have bothered to investigate the actual number of civilians killed in Gaza as a result of combat? How many have recognized that the essential element for the charge of “genocide” to stick is the presence of “intent”? How many people denouncing Israel for “genocide” are deliberately ignoring the fact that there has been no such intent by the IDF, which has made a tremendous effort, by dropping millions of leaflets, sending millions of text messages, and making millions of robocalls, to warn civilians away from neighborhoods and buildings soon to be targeted? How many know that the IDF has been facilitating the vaccination of children in Gaza? Or that the Israelis have transported children with serious conditions out of Gaza to hospitals elsewhere, where their conditions can be best treated? How many know that there is not a “famine” in Gaza? How many know that Israel has facilitated the entry into Gaza of 1.5 million tons of humanitarian aid — mainly food and medicine? Does any of that suggest that Israel has ever had the “intent” to commit genocide?
Who knows the answer to that? You know the answer to that. Arundhati Roy does not.
Wellington says
Another Leftist loon, this time from India.
Query: Which is the greater menace? Leftism or Islam? I vote for the former because idiocy, even more than pure malevolence, invariably results in the worst outcomes for mankind. And yes, no doubt, this woman is a Leftist loon because only a Leftist loon would state what she did.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
For those who don’t know/remember, she wrote an article in The Guardian after 9/11 mocking the commentary of the late Tony Snow the weekend after the attack. She’s an absolute piece of human debris
I had forgotten that she was still alive: this hag can’t croak soon enough. As for the Berlin film festival, its quality just improved as a result of her withdrawal
somehistory says
Thank you, Infidel. I had no idea who or what this hag was, has said, written, or done.
She couldn’t fill even a toe of Tony Snow’s shoes.
And, if I had planned to attend, but had not due to her appearance, now, I’d say it’s a go.
She’s one creepy creature who is too full of herself, too much into her own self-importance.
And her opinion about Israel is born of hate, not facts.
Gealea says
My late friend, Indian fighter pilot. Considered this woman, Arandhati Roy a nutcase and dangerous to India. She is ignorant of the history of the MidflevEast and even more ignorsntbof Islam andvJudaism.
She is clearly dangerous to truth about the war in Gaza, whichbisvaxresultbif Muslim Hamas rulers of Gaza commitying genocide in Israel.and Jews
࿗Infidel࿘ says
She is both antisemitic and anti-Hindu
mgoldberg says
Interesting that an Indian woman would be unaware or simply not care about the some 60-70 milliion’s of Hindus murdered by Islam over the last 1000 yrs.
mgoldberg says
Interesting that an Indian woman would be unaware or simply not care about the some 60-70 milliion’s of Hindus murdered by Islam over the last 1000 yrs.
mgoldberg says
Interesting that an Indian woman would be unaware or simply not care about the some 60-70 milliion’s of Hindus murdered by Islam over the last 1000 yrs.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Goldberg
One thing worth noting – she’s not a Hindu, even by religious lineage. She’s from Christian – her full name is Suzanna Arundhati Roy. Even though as far as actual beliefs go, she’s a hard Leftist, completely in sync w/ Chomsky, Jeremy Corbyn and other neo-Communists like them
Oh, and the actual number of Hindus massacred over 1000 years was 150 million, not 60 or 70 million
somehistory says
A person has to *want* to be Christian. Some sects perform baptism on infants.
But, the Bible, through the words of Jesus, says that a person has to make that choice.
“Count the cost” of being a follower, Jesus said,
Many people grow up in homes where their parents go to church and talk about Jesus, but they don’t *choose* to have the Faith necessary to be Christian..
This woman is no Christian.
Five says
These Hindus women are all loonies, leftist kooks. I’ve met many college students, younger people visiting, I am talking pretty wealthy girls. Not one of them was a Muslim. High tier universities, Columbia, Cal-Berkeley and a few more.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
A lot of them are, but this broad is not a Hindu. Her family denomination is Christian – she’s said so herself
Of course, in person, she’s a loony Leftist: no wonder Noam Chomsky praised her
࿗Infidel࿘ says
somehistory
She’s obviously not a practicing Christian. But her family roots are Christian, not Hindu, which is a part of why what happened historically to Hindus doesn’t bother her in the least
somehistory says
Infidel, a Christian is not someone who was just raised by people who claim to be Christian. A *real* Christian must ‘practice’….must have faith and *fruit* that can be seen by others, whether they understand those fruits or not. Christians do know the ‘fruits’ produced by other Christians.
she may have been raised in a family who claimed to be Christian, but her
words, her attitudes, etc, prove she didn’t acquire the Faith and therefore, any claim she may have in that regard is not backed up by the “fruits” of Christianity.
If she claims it, she’s not being truthful.
jim says
First, condemn your muslims raping and murdering Hindus. Loser!
Devil's due says
By the way, she is not a Hindu. She is a Christian.Her full name is Suzanna Arundhati Roy.
dumbledoresarmy says
If she had been in one of those villages in Southern Israel on 7th October 2023 ** she would have been murdered by the jihadis**. Because she’s not a Muslim. That’s all it takes. Harmless Thai Buddhist agricultural workers and Catholic Filipino care workers were seized and butchered right along with Israeli Jews. And many of the Jews who were murdered were earnest peaceniks, who had sought to ‘build bridges’ and to make nice with the mohammedans of Gaza.
Every single one of those in the west who yap “I am Hamas’ and weep and wail for mohammed’s willing executioners in Gaza, need to told over and over: YOU ARE A TARGET FOR JIHAD You, the ‘progressive’ atheist, you the self-hating Jew, you the ‘progressive’ Christian… ALL you need to be, to be a target for rape-enslavement-mutilation-murder, is… to not be a Muslim.
If you are Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Christian, atheist, animist/ practitioner of traditional beliefs… YOU ARE AN INFIDEL and unless and until you convert to the cult of blood and war that is Islam, you will be attacked and attacked and attacked and if you refuse the ‘invitation’ to join the death cult, you will be murdered.. and as they murder you (most likely by the cruellest method they can think of), they will chant allahu-akbar, because your death is a sacrifice to their bloody allah.
dumbledoresarmy says
There are more people – many more people – in Gaza now than there were on 7 October 2023.
‘Nuff said.
No genocide.
Next!
gravenimage says
Spot on both posts, DDA.
OLD GUY says
I applaud the Organizers of the German Film Festival, for trying to take politics out of their film festival. Not every breath taken has to have a political slant to it. As far as Roy dropping out I see an increase in quality and participation for the event.
William Kemmler says
So a person I’ve never heard of before is withdrawing from a German film festival that I didn’t even know existed and I should care why, exactly?
Sounds more like a big nothingburger to me. And if the media just stopped reporting such nonsense I’m sure nobody would care.
eot
Edmund Carey says
Noam Chomsky has always had the highest praise for her – “the wonderful Arundhati Roy”. Let that be your warning sign.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Not remotely surprising. They both are from the same genre of neo-Communists
Robert says
There are as many Blinded and Dead from the Republican Guard on the streets in Iran as are “told” are dead in Gaza. Why has the “genocide” moniker not been applied?
gravenimage says
Indian Writer Arundhati Roy Withdraws From German Film Festival
…………………………………………..
What a tool.