David Grossman, Opponent of Israeli Government Policies, Wins Israel's Most Prestigious Literary Award

David Grossman, a renowned Israeli writer and one of the staunchest opponents of the policies of the Israeli government over the decades, was recognized as the winner of Israel's most prestigious literary award in 2018. According to Israeli media, Naftali Bennett, Israel's Minister of Education, announced in a phone call with David Grossman on Monday, February 12, that the jury of the National Literary Awards had named him the winner of this year's most significant literary award. This award is national and not governmental. Naftali Bennett is a far-right politician and leader of the 'Jewish Home' party, a strong supporter of settlements; meanwhile, David Grossman has seriously criticized the construction of more Jewish settlements throughout his literary career and political writings, considering it one of the reasons for the ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories and the continuation of this long-standing conflict. Despite being among the politicians that Grossman has written against and campaigned socially, Bennett tweeted on Monday: 'Grossman is an excellent writer and an Israeli who loves his nation and country; he does not need to prove his patriotism to anyone; he is one of the exciting, profound, and influential voices in Israeli literature.' Mr. Grossman described the phone conversation with Naftali Bennett as 'civilized' and 'even pleasant,' announcing that he is willing to accept this literary award this year. According to Haaretz, the jury of the National Literary Awards stated: 'Since the early 1980s, David Grossman has earned a prominent and deserving place in the cultural and literary scene of Israel with his writings... He expresses his profound heartfelt wisdom, human sensitivity, and firm ethical positions through a unique literary language while presenting outstanding works that demonstrate rich and admirable imagination.' Three years ago, David Grossman withdrew his nomination for the National Literary Award of 2015 in protest against Benjamin Netanyahu's interference in influencing the appointment of three members of the jury for the national awards, marking another rare sharp criticism of his prime minister. This action led several other prominent figures nominated for national awards in various fields to withdraw their nominations, stating they were unwilling to accept an award from a jury influenced by Netanyahu, which Netanyahu denied. Last year, David Grossman won one of the world's most prestigious literary awards, the 'Man Booker.' He has also received significant literary awards from German publishers, including the Frankfurt Book Fair, Italy, and other countries, as well as the Knight of Arts and Letters from France. He has been nominated multiple times for the Nobel Prize in Literature but has not yet been announced among the winners. Mr. Grossman, 64, was born in Jerusalem; he was born five years after the establishment of the State of Israel. He attended high school in Jerusalem and was a presenter of a literary program for teenagers on Israel Radio in Hebrew during his teenage years. To this day, alongside his literary works for adults, he has not abandoned writing books for children and teenagers, having written another delightful book for children just last year. David Grossman completed his academic studies in philosophy and theater at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; his first serious story was published in 1979 under the title 'The Donkeys' in the Hebrew literary magazine 'Question Mark.' Since then, he has written dozens of books that have been translated into 42 languages. Some of his works have been adapted into prominent films in Israel and worldwide. Throughout all his works, David Grossman strongly opposes the Israeli occupation policies over Palestinian lands; he has also been a prominent activist and critic of the governments of his country. In 2012, when Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, the then Minister of Defense, were apparently seriously discussing the possibility of a military attack on Iran, Mr. Grossman, in a rare article in Haaretz, called on all Israelis, from political leaders and military commanders to writers and intellectuals and other members of society, not to remain silent in the face of the potential Israeli military 'adventure' against Iran. David Grossman's youngest son was a soldier who was killed on the last day of the 34-day military operation of the Israeli army against Hezbollah in Lebanon in the summer of 2006; his son's death intensified his criticisms of the policies of the then Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and increased his social activism. David Grossman considers the demands of his opponents to prove his loyalty to Israel as 'fascist' and states that he is loyal to art and continues his active role in the life, art, and culture of Israel. He emphasizes that he feels 'ashamed' of his government's policies towards the Palestinians but is not ashamed of being Israeli and still believes that this country is 'an extraordinarily great place that has managed to excel in technology, industry, medicine, modern agriculture, culture, and creativity in various other fields, surpassing dozens of countries in the world; however, the peace with Palestinians, who also have the right to a fair life, has not yet been achieved.' He neither falls into the depths of pessimism nor descends into the valley of despair; he continues to strive for the realization of this right with all his might. David Grossman has addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in at least three of his major works; however, he emphasizes that the Palestinians themselves must also demonstrate maturity, accept the existence of Israel, and express readiness for peace and work towards it. The National Literary Award of Israel will be presented to David Grossman three months from now on Independence Day; it is expected that receiving the award from Benjamin Netanyahu, whose policies have been under the literary lash of Mr. Grossman, will be a noteworthy event.