Linked with our presentation on The Word in Times of Crisis.
And linked with our presentation The Andalus Publishing House.
Yael Lerer publishes Arabic literature in Hebrew. Youssef Hidjazi spoke with the young Israeli about her interest in authors like Mahmoud Darwish, Mohamed Choukri and Huda Barakat, and about the difficulties she confronts as a publisher of Arabic literature in Israel. (See on Quantara.de).
Yael Lerer – Israel
She says: I learned Arabic ten years ago for political and ideological reasons, and I consider myself very lucky – it allows me to read Arabic literature and gives me special insights into Arab culture. Because of this personal experience, I decided to let others share this privilege. Once I began studying Arabic, I learned more than I had originally planned; I discovered my interest in Arabic literature and poetry and realized how foreign Arab culture had been to me before that. Even though I have had Arab friends, colleagues and comrades-in-arms for years. Four years ago I began building up a new publishing house, Al-Andalus, to publish Hebrew translations of Arabic literature. My original approach was cultural, through literature; I did not become politically active until later on. After five years working in the Israeli Parliament every day for Dr. Azmi Bishara, I simply couldn’t stand the work any more and decided to give it up. The Arab members of the Israeli Parliament are confronted with Israeli racism on a daily basis, and I found that impossible to take. (See a very long interview, conducted by Youssef Hijazi, translation from German by Isabel Coleon, with © at Qantara 2004, on Quantara.de).
Excerpt: … Yael Lerer, editor of the Andalus publishing house, Osnat Trabelsi and Prof. Avi Oz are doing all they can to contribute to the success of the project, … about creating ‘The Freedom Theater’, Mrch 5, 2006 … (go to The Freedom Theatre).
She signs also this petition; … The following 530 people have publicly agreed to support a statement that reads: « We Israeli Jews and Jews from Other Countries Support the Rights of Palestinian Refugees. » It is understood by the signers that this includes the Right to Return. See here).
Seminar hold on December 2-3, 2005, at Bethlehem Palestine , by The Alternative Information Center AIC, about Building a Future Together: Alternatives to the Israeli- Palestinian Impasse: … During the seminar there were more then 300 participates including 60 internationals from 13 different countries, 80 Israelis, and 200 Palestinians.
Yael Lerer was born in Tel Aviv to a European Jewish family. She studied at the University of Tel Aviv and the American University in Cairo. She served as official spokesperson for Dr. Azmi Bishara, member of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) and is the founder of the publishing house Al-Andalus.
links:
dialogue with the Islamic World, of Muslims Organisations;
Andalous Publishing, publisher of Arabic Literature in Hebrew translation;
a very long article on ‘the other Israel’ on angelfire;
Act Left on Yahoo Groups;
the book: 1001 Palestinian Nights;