The French revolution over Israeli literature - Haaretz

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Thu., November 22, 2007 Kislev 12, 5768

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The French revolution over Israeli literature

By Daniel Ben Simon

Tags: France, Amos Oz

PARIS - The French-Jewish novelist Marek Halter sat this week in a posh restaurant on Avenue Montaigne, in the heart of the Parisian high-fashion district, and found it hard to cap his enthusiasm. "You wouldn't believe how books about Jews and Israel are in demand among French publishing houses," he declared, in a voice that drew the attention of other diners. At the next table, Johnny Hallyday, perhaps the most popular singer in France, was following Halter's pronouncements with intense interest.

Halter had just come from a meeting with his publisher after signing a new book contract. "It will be about Jews and Poland," he said. "A few years ago, it might have interested a few elderly Jews; now it interests the French public in general. Not just Jews in Poland, but anything connected to Jews and Israel."

Halter remembers a time not so long ago when the mere mention of Israel would be a source of discomfort, because of the bloody conflict with the Palestinians. Today, Israeli authors like Amos Oz and Aharon Appelfeld are enjoying new-found popularity.

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"I remember those days," said Edna Dagon, a former Israeli who lives in France and promotes Israeli literature. "It was a desert. We would translate Meir Shalev and barely manage to sell 3,000 books. Today it has changed utterly."

The French have welcomed Israeli literature with open arms. In March, 40 books by Israeli authors will appear in translation at the annual Paris Book Fair, which is to be launched by Israeli President Shimon Peres and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Dagon says French publishers are now open to Israeli writers and willing to hear about the other side of the little country that causes such great global political shock waves. "They are tired of the long conflict and are looking for another way to understand what is happening," she said. "They realize that through Israeli literature, they can penetrate Israeli society. Take, for example, Batya Gur's books. They've been phenomenally successful, and through her, the French got to know the detective Michael Ohayon and the behind-the-scenes of kibbutz society, relations between ethnic communities and the tension between the founders and new immigrants."

New interest in Israeli literature reflects the recent thawing of relations between the two countries at the diplomatic level. The turning point was probably when Israel announced its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the high point was then prime minister Ariel Sharon's visit to France in July 2005, the month before disengagement. No Israeli premier since David Ben-Gurion ever received such a welcome from the French.

Since then, relations have only improved, and were further enhanced by Sarkozy's election in May. From his first day in the Elysee Palace, Sarkozy has not concealed his fondness for Israel, and he has brought French public opinion on board.

"The end of the intifada and disengagement really did lead to a big boom, and revealed another Israel to the French," said Miri Shek, a cultural curator and wife of Israel's ambassador to France, Daniel Shek.

Halter agrees. "You know how good it feels that the French have discovered that this little country has produced 40 writers translated into French? That honor is not given to Belgium or Holland, nor to countries with much bigger populations," he said.

And it is not only books. Israeli movies are filling the cinemas and dance troupes the theaters. The audiences used to be made up mainly of Jews expressing solidarity with Israel. Now the audiences are mixed.

The French media are also involved. Most of the weeklies and monthlies are devoting space to Israel at 60. L'Express is dedicating a whole issue to Israel, as are Le Nouvel Observateur and others.

"Israel is still the most interesting journalistic project there is," said Vincent Hugeux, senior foreign correspondent at L'Express. Advertisers agree - all the ad space has long been sold, he noted.

Israeli soldiers and generals are "out," but poets, writers and architects are "in," said Anita Mazor, cultural attache at the Israeli Embassy. "When a Frenchman from Dijon goes to an Israeli movie, from my perspective it's as if he's visited Israel for an hour and a half," she added.

Several French-Jewish literary figures have also contributed to the change, using their appearances on television to present the other Israel, with its identity crises and concerns about its future.

On Sunday evening, at the annual meeting of Friends of the Hebrew University in Paris, a prize was awarded to Holocaust survivor and stateswoman Simone Veil. When she spoke about her Jewishness and her bond with Israel, actor Alain Delon was so moved he rose to his feet. "Every year there is more warmth and love," said Hebrew University President Menachem Magidor.

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