Adelaide Writers' Week has become embroiled in a political controversy after the festival board disinvited Palestinian-Australian writer Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, citing cultural sensitivity following the Bondi attack. The decision sparked resignations, legal threats, and a wave of withdrawals from authors and sponsors, plunging the event into chaos. Critics argue that the festival's programming has shifted from fostering genuine debate to affirming ideological positions, exposing hypocrisy around free speech and censorship. The fallout has also drawn attention to connections with senior government figures and intensified calls for a royal commission into antisemitism, highlighting deeper issues within Australia's civic culture.