A webinar with AB Yehoshua
The New Israel Fund Australia is to host a webinar with one of Israel’s best-known authors and a veteran voice for peace AB Yehoshua.
He will join Dr Mark Baker to discuss the Netanyahu-Gantz government’s plans for annexation of the West Bank, which may begin as early as July. Together with questions from the NIF Australia community, they will unpack how plans for annexation will impact Israeli democracy and efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Winner of the Israel Prize for Literature in 1995, the internationally renowned author and activist, will examine the changing reality on the ground in the West Bank. Translated into 28 languages, Yehoshua, who is affectionately called Bullie, has recently written a new novel, The Tunnel. This is in addition to his many previous works, some of which have been adapted to film, television, theatre and opera. In 2015 he was the star of the documentary “Call Me Bullie” about his life and works.
NIF Australia executive director Liam Getreu said: “We have all been reading AB Yehoshua’s novels, essays and plays for decades, and have come to deeply admire his creativity and principled positions for democracy and equality. We are looking forward to a fascinating evening with one of Israel’s leading thinkers, who has stridently been calling for the need to end the occupation for many years.”
Yehoshua’s work has also explored the impact on Israelis and Palestinians if the occupation doesn’t end. NIF’s event with him will also discuss what can be done in such a scenario to ensure equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis living under Israel’s control.
Yehoshua, along with fellow authors Amos Oz and David Grossman have long been considered the liberal conscience of Israeli society.
“Just like everyone, our programming has moved online since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. We’ve had a huge response to our events, with hundreds and hundreds of people joining our events with Knesset member Merav Michaeli and American academic Peter Beinart, as well as deep dives on how the Covid crisis is affecting refugees, people seeking asylum, Ethiopian Jews, Palestinians in Israel and in the West Bank with our grantees Physicians for Human Rights and Tag Meir,” added Getreu.
The event with AB Yehoshua and Mark Baker is free but registration is required at www.nif.org.au/abyehoshua2020
