Israeli Drama and the Palestinian Conflict

Nicole Goldstein

Introduction

• Israeli Theatre was non-existent until the country’s establishment in 1948.

• Some of these earlier writings were seen as propaganda.

• Plays were mostly social dramas, which revolved around the audience being both spectators and participants.

• Variety of established theatres, fringe groups and avant-garde material presented today.

• Thoughts about Israeli Theatre and perception

The Israeli/Palestine Conflict

• Summary of what this conflict is/originated from.

Israeli/Palestinian Conflict Plays

Various titles including:– An Arab Woman Speaks– An Israeli Love Story– My Name is Rachel Corrie– Seven Jewish Children/Seven Other Children– To Pay the Price– The Trainer– Via Dolorosa– Wall– What Strong Fences Make– DAI (Enough)

*Not all of these shows were written by Israelis, but this really tells a lot about individuals and cultures around the world and their reactions and feelings into this gruesome conflict.

Themes in Concerns with the Conflict

• Israeli Identity, particularly in the younger crowd.• Zionist narrative and attitude towards

Palestinians• Dehumanization • Ethical Issues• Personal and collective responsibility• Framing the Palestinians as “different” and to be

considered a threat

Israeli Playwrights

• Hanoch Levin was one of the most notable Israeli playwrights. He mostly wrote black comedies and satire pieces which reflected ideas of violence of modern day Israel and 20th century Jewish fate. – His tragedy Murder portrays the brutality of man

in the midst of the conflict.

Israeli Playwrights Continued

• Women playwrights were not discovered until the 1970’s, including Miriam Kany and Shulamit. – Throughout time, they tended to focus on realities of

current events and individual responses to the national phenomena, war and the Intifada (Arab terrorist groups)

– Currently on the Israeli Stage: – http://www.israelistage.com/

Drama and Ideology in Modern Israel

• As a result of this ever growing conflict, artists have written performativity pieces revolving around this.

The Present Day Influences to Jewish Theatre

• Historical and Social forces influence the works of Jewish Theatre

Questions Asked of Me

• How am I supposed to find information about a country who has been mostly nomadic for many years to summarize their culture and theatrical performance standards if they are always on the move?

• Could Israeli theatre’s performance be based in their nomadic escapades?

Work Cited

Abramson, Glenda. Drama and Ideology in Modern Israel. New York: Cambridge UP, 1998. Print.

Oppenheim, Yoni. “The Origins of Jewish Performance.” My Jewish Learning. Yoni Oppemheim, 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.

Rokum, Freddie. “Isreali Avant-Garde Theatre and the Bible.” Isreali Avant-Garde Theatre and the Bible. Academia.edu, 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015.