the economist tries to figure out arab israelis through football and film.

is ajami the follow up to sakhnin (home to the largest group of sufis in israel says wikipedia)?

i have been curious about the israeli arab identity ever since i took in elia souleiman‘s diatribe expressing his confused reaction to the partial israeli funding of his film- chronicle of a disappearance which was premiering at the 96 or 97 london film festival- and his near-apology for existing as an israeli arab. it’s a talk i am not likely to forget (the impact was in part due to the surprise and disbelief that the on-screen silent character could all of a sudden be transformed into this loquacious off-screen director delivering this impassioned soliloquy).
can israeli arabs become the much needed bridge between israeli and arab peoples? ahmed recently poopoos the idea of a bridge people (with help from edvard beneš), i think they are crucial conduits and catalysts of cross-cultural understanding.
and even if in the meantime israeli arabs are still living with a mix of hope and despair, i remain optimistic that they will play a crucial role in fostering mutual understanding.

Related articles by Zemanta

• David Saranga: ‘Ajami’ and the Oscars: Who Really Represents Israel? (huffingtonpost.com)
• Film: Review:Ajami (avclub.com)
• Fabio Periera: Deconstructing Ajami (huffingtonpost.com)
• Film casts harsh light on Israel’s other Arab conflict (telegraph.co.uk)
• Q&A: Israeli Arabs (news.bbc.co.uk)

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