The director of the Adelaide Festival's Writers' Week has resigned after the board canceled an appearance by Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah, sparking widespread boycotts from participants including former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern. Louise Adler, the departing director, criticized what she described as repressive efforts by pro-Israel lobbyists and questioned the festival's commitment to open dialogue, stating that concerns about 'safety' were being used to silence dissenting opinions. The festival's decision followed controversy over Abdel-Fattah's public statements, which included her refusal to acknowledge the murder of Israelis and social media posts seen as supportive of the October 7 attacks. The board said it was deeply affected by a recent terror attack at a Jewish festival and did not take the exclusion lightly, while Abdel-Fattah condemned the move as anti-Palestinian racism and an attempt to link her to unrelated violence.