‘A Different Talk with David Grossman: Ishi Tani presents’ took place on a warm Jerusalemite evening in the historic American Colony Hotel in East Jerusalem. The setting for this unique ‘critical literary salon with an East Jerusalem perspective’, as Apo Sahagian framed it, is fitting. The hotel carries a rich history of peace (and war) talks in its lush gardens and cool corridors. The event was hosted by the Ishi Tani (‘Something Else’ in Arabic) and Unholy Talks initiatives that aim to foster fresh perspectives within Jerusalem by organising cultural activities. What began with Ishi Tani’s musical events has now expanded into the literary world starting with this critical discussion with renowned author David Grossman. A Jerusalemite himself, the Israeli author of works such as ‘To The End of the Land’ and ‘A Horse Walks Into A Bar’, winner of the 2017 International Booker Prize, was kept on his (intellectual) toes by Mahmoud Muna and Apo Sahagian. Both Jerusalemites as well, but with very different experiences and areas of expertise. A Palestinian owner of a bookshop was flanked by an Armenian musician, leader of the band ‘Apo and the Apostles’ and a former PIJ intern, which provided unique perspectives, reflecting the reality of Jerusalem’s multicultural heritage and narratives. What united them all this evening was the mutual goal of open dialogue between peoples that are pitched as ‘enemies’ and the role of cultural activities and discussions to highlight our shared humanity in hopes for peace.
Untying stereotypes to find our shared humanity
The conversation began with the themes of empathy and the unravelling of stereotypes when creating fictional characters, a theme that easily translates into commentary on the social, political and economic situation in the Holy Land. David Grossman shared insights on how his work aims to ‘untie’ stereotypes and the challenge of understanding a radically different character/personality. He highlighted the importance of letting go of our self-narratives to intimately and fully surrender to the character. This immersion, according to Grossman, is a form of redemption and can teach one to empathise and understand even the most radically opposite personality. Understanding the underlying humanity of all was highlighted as a key point in creating a compelling character.
The parallel of the wish for such immersive understanding of another was then expanded to the need to break down walls and stereotypes to foster cooperation as humans, not just as Palestinians and Israelis. ‘There is no joy such as untying stereotypes’ – this phrase speaks to the power of empathy and the importance of developing attachments between human beings, letting go of being trapped in our identity and the fear of the self being changed. The author’s idea of not projecting oneself onto his character, but imagining them as a male/female/younger/older version of themselves, can serve as blueprint for Israeli and Palestinian policy-makers, in aiming to see each other in their humanity, not through the lens of their rigid self-narratives.
Being human is not easy: the reason behind Grossman’s ‘sober’ novels
‘Being human is quite the burden’ was David Grossman’s answer when asked why his writing is often so tragic and sad. This was not a criticism, merely the reality of life. The author aims to portray the processes and conflicts he is a part of. ‘I write to understand things’, not the conflict specifically, but the raw human relationships that it reveals: between men and women, parents and children. He stressed the need to be seen as human by others, especially our enemies. If we are understood to be more than our stereotypes, we are given legitimacy by the very people that oppress us. This echoed his words of making the effort to immerse oneself completely in the personality of the ‘other’, be it his Palestinian neighbour or a character in a novel.
While admitting that it is incredibly ‘hard for us [Israelis] to rub our soul against this harsh reality’, nevertheless it is something that must be done to achieve mutual understanding, which can then be a foundation for peaceful coexistence. The fact that the Holy Land is such a small space where so many contradictory ideas are held on to, in a circumstantial conflict, for Grossman only increases the worth of delving beyond political relationships, to more humane, primal connections. To write about these connections is to humanise; to understand.
‘A place where nobody is afraid’
This was Grossman’s answer when asked about his vision for Israel. He stressed the importance of an absence of fear on both sides, the Palestinian from their occupiers, the occupation which has to be ended, and the Israeli from their Arab neighbours. He characterised this best by highlighting the plight of children growing up: the need for children to grow up feeling safe and without existential fears, a harsh reality that is prevalent among both sides. He had hopes of an Israel where there is the feeling of having a future (his answer was notable in an absence of a political formula, which reflected the need to not only humanise the present conflict but also its future).
This hopeful tone, however, was immediately offset by the harsh reality on the ground. Both Muna and Grossman agreed that the general feeling on both sides of the Green Line was that ‘even if peace came yesterday, it would be too late.’ This sombre reflection showed that the long-term nature of this conflict has made it harder to untie the stereotypes, ingrained beliefs and grievances held by both sides for generations. Grossman notes that ‘both sides turned their dark sides to each other’ in this conflict, making it hard to reach the levels of empathy, humanity and mutual respect that his novels aim to explore.
As the discussion turned to politics and hopes for the future, the question of Jerusalem was inevitably brought up. Muna’s view reflected a more pragmatic view of the reality visible in the Palestinian side. He described Jerusalem as a madhouse, now and historically, a place of contradictions. These have now become strikingly political as opposed to the religious and cultural ones seen in Jerusalem of old. All speakers expressed a certain frustrated cynicism on the future of Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian territories. Jerusalem will continue to fragment, along political and increasingly economic lines, while the absence of a clear national project on the Palestinian side points to further instability and lack of coherent actions for peace. Sahagian saw more hope for his home city’s future but did not have a chance to expand on it.
Cultural dialogue and mutual understating: a beacon of hope
Thus, in such a complicated and suspicious environment, the importance of initiatives such as this was clear to all three discussants. When asked ‘how do you create conversations in a place where it feels like everything has been said?’, their answers provided hope that there are still currents of enthusiasm for peace on both sides. The urge to move forward and continue the hard journey to understanding the underlying humanity on both sides calls for individuals to create projects such as Ishi Tani and experiment with dialogue between different viewpoints, with the same goal. This is not ‘normalisation’, it is an engagement with the peace process that allows the Palestinian voice to become a centrepiece and feel understood and supported by Israeli allies. With this, the Israeli side would also be able to solve its internal discord and move towards a more empathetic view of the people they currently occupy. Something that Grossman’s novels and active presence and public advocacy already do.
Sources used:
The American Colony. (2019). Jerusalem Historical Sites | Unique Hotels of the World. [online] Available at: https://www.americancolony.com/history [Accessed 10 Sep. 2019].