Paris fair honoring Israeli writers briefly vacated after bomb alert

16 March 2008

By Shiri Ben-Ari

Thousands fled the Paris book Fair in Porte de Versailles on Sunday, after French police were tipped off to a bomb threat on the premises. The venue was reopened shortly after evacuation, as police said the alert was apparently an empty threat.

Scores of writers, publishers, editors and journalists attended the international fair, featuring 39 Israeli writers and publishers and officially opened by visiting Israeli President Shimon Peres last week.

Israeli writers such as David Grossman, Amos Oz, A.B. Yehoshua and Aharon Appelfeld, Haim Guri, Zruya Shalev and Gavriela Avigdor-Rotem were invited to take part in the fair.

French radio reported that other fairs taking place at the massive Porte de Versailles exhibition complex in southern Paris had also been evacuated.

No other details were immediately available.

Last week, the large sign over Israel's pavilion, with a logo designed by David Tartakover collapsed, lightly injuring four people.

Seven Muslim countries protested against the choice of Israel as guest of honor at the French-speaking world's largest literary event.

Algeria, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Yemen announced in advance they would shun the fair in response to a call from the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).

The Morocco-based organization said last month it had urged the boycott to protest against Israel's actions against Palestinians.