Soon afterthe War of 1948, Jewish writer Yizhar Smilansky, under the penname S. Yizhar, published a novella entitled Khirbet Khizeh. The story has since become a fixture within the cannon of Israeli literature, largely due to Yizhar’s beautiful command of the Hebrew language and his mastery of the short story.

Perhaps more important than the elevated prose of the book is the tale told within the Khirbet Khizeh. At a time when the nascent nation was still scrambling to secure itself and its power, Yizhar boldly puts forth the story of one Israeli soldier’s struggle to justify his role within the Palestinian Nakba.

“If the first occurrence were tragedy, the second would be a farce.”
– Saeed, The Secret Life of Saeed the Pessoptimist

Emile Habiby

Lauded as one of the most influential authors within contemporary Arab literature, Emile Habiby consistently presents his readers with thoughtful, provocative, and entertaining material that challenges understandings of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As a Christian Arab born in Haifa, Habiby often examines what it means to be Palestinian within Israeli society. The author led an active civic life, helping to found the Israeli communist party (ICP) and serving multiple terms in the Knesset throughout the 50s, 60s, and early 70s. In 1972, Habiby stepped down from his post in order to focus more heavily on his writing, and in 1974 he published what became his most renowned novel, The Secret Life of Saeed the Pessoptimist.

A highly satirical read, this novel presents the story of an Arab man who gains Israeli citizenship and attempts to navigate life within the newly formed state. Saeed is a gullible, seemingly foolish character, eager to collaborate with Israeli powers in order to survive. The extremity of Saeed’s cowardice and his initial lack of a strong ‘Palestinian’ identity make the anti-hero seem more pitiable than evil. Introduced as an “ill-fated pessoptimist,” Saeed takes on the position of an Israeli-Palestinian everyman, whose role in society is as confusing as the idea of pessoptimism – explained by Saeed as the combination of pessimism and optimism, “blended perfectly” so that the character can thank God for his life while still expecting things to get much worse. Saeed’s Candide-like nature, as well as a series of fantastical events (from treasure hunts to visits from a “man from outer space”), give the novel its farcical feel, drawing out both the cyclical nature and sheer absurdity of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“It’s a real art, you don’t appreciate it, to live this kind of double life among us, to live our world and to live its opposite” — Adam, The Lover

Throughout history it is the artists — the painters, the singers, the authors — who have been able to say what the politicians can’t or won’t, to describe the emotions, nuances, and beauty of a society. The censorship and manipulation of art by political regimes has been, and continues to be, an early sign of oppression, tyrannzy, and fascism. This is not coincidental. Art has the ability to play a vital role within areas of conflict. Art can challenge assumptions. Art can expose dismal realities. Art can invoke feeling in ways more “real” than any “fact” about where a border runs.

As a student of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I understand the difficulty of unpacking the complex history, the myriad political standpoints, and the seemingly impenetrable question of what “justice” in the region looks like. On this subject, we are constantly challenged to wade to wade through the “facts,’ in order to determine what we believe the truth to be. Perhaps then, there is merit in taking another approach — in not directly seeking the “facts,” but rather in turning to those who convey societal truths through other means. In the words of Oscar Wilde, “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.”

By looking at Israeli and Palestinian literature, it is possible to shed light on certain cultural and social realities that are lost in negotiations, mandates, and U.N. resolutions. It is for this reason that I seek to critically explore an array of Israeli and Palestinian literature that has been published throughout the course of the conflict. From long-famous authors like Amos Oz and Ghassan Kanafani, to newer writers like Sayed Kashua and Suad Amiry, I want to explore the past, present, and future of the conflict through a new lens. Some of these books I have read before, some I will be unraveling for the first time, but all promise to be entertaining and enlightening reads. These stories are largely works of fiction, and though the characters may not exist, it is through them that these authors are able to convey very deep truths about life in Israel and Palestine.