The British novelist was one of more than 150 signatories to a letter published by Britain's The Guardian newspaper which demanded peace in the Middle East, but denounced calls for a boycott of Israeli artists amid rising tensions between Palestinians and the Jewish state.

Rowling's stance angered many of her fans, who flooded the author's social media accounts with complaints, but the writer has now defended her decision to oppose a boycott.

"Boycotting Israel on every possible front has its allure. It satisfies the human urge to do something, anything, in the face of horrific human suffering," Rowling writes on TwitLonger.com. "What sits uncomfortably with me is that severing contact with Israel's cultural and academic community means refusing to engage with some of the Israelis who are most pro-Palestinian, and most critical of Israel's government.

"Those are voices I'd like to hear amplified, not silenced. A cultural boycott places immovable barriers between artists and academics who want to talk to each other, understand each other and work side-by-side for peace."

The author stated that although she disagrees with fans who have contacted her, she has not been hurt by the criticism, adding, "I genuinely don't take it in ill part when you send me counterarguments framed in terms of the Potter books. All books dealing with morality can be picked apart for those lines and themes that best suit the arguer's perspective."