In a recent interview given to the Italian news agency AKI-Adnkronos, Ramadan was quoted as saying of the book fair that the time has come to “declare in a clear fashion that one cannot accept anything that comes out of Israel.” Ramadan argues that, because Israel’s policies are so oppressive, Israel should not be given the place of honor. This at least is what he said in a press release when his initial statement was extensively quoted across Italian and European media.
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/ottolenghi/2486