"Last week Mohamed Salmawy, president of the Egyptian Writers Union, wrote to the Italian writers union that “writers all over the Arab world” had been “shocked” by the fair’s decision and that the writers’ unions in Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt had officially condemned the choice. The book fair’s decision, Mr. Salmawy wrote, “has antagonized Arab public opinion.”" (There is no question that countries, nay governments, in the West often exercise an affirmative action on behalf of Israel--a preferential treatment of sorts. For example: take the Israeli winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Shmuel Yosef Agnon. I know that you are all saying: Shmuel who? That is my point. Good night. I have to go now. I have to: From the Window. I shall throw potatoes out, from my window.)