“Israeli apartheid”: a French comic strip canceled in Germany for a controversial word on Israel

The publication of the German edition of French comic strip "Élise et les Nouveaux Partisans" has been canceled due to a controversial word concerning Israel, that of "apartheid", the publisher and the authors indicated on Tuesday.

This word is found in the afterword to “Élise et les Nouveaux Partisans”, written by far-left singer Dominique Grange, the book's protagonist.

She says her "solidarity with the exemplary resistance of the Palestinian people for 70 years, against the occupation and Israeli apartheid".

The book was due to arrive in German bookstores on January 16.

But "without the authors or Éditions Delcourt being notified, this publication was canceled at the last minute", explained the French publisher.

“Editions Delcourt joins the authors in condemning this absurd and unworthy censorship, since the comments made by Dominique Grange engage only her and not the publisher.

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"We see it as censorship"

Questioned by AFP, the Carlsen editions confirmed that this word "apartheid" was at the origin of the problem.

"We are still convinced of the quality of Dominique Grange's story and Jacques Tardi's illustrations, and regret that concerning the afterword, we did not check carefully enough before announcing the publication", explained a spokesperson.

Dominique Grange said she was "injured".

“We see it as censorship.

We didn't know anything: we learned about it from a reader who had ordered the book and to whom his bookseller announced that it was not going to appear.

It is rude to say the least,” she said.

“The comic has been published in Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, and it will soon be in the United States.

Every time no problem,” she added.

Éditions Delcourt and Dominique Grange specified that as a sign of protest, the translator of “Élise et les Nouveaux Partisans”, Ulrich Pröfrock, had ceased all collaboration with this publisher.