A. B. Yehoshua Quotes

A. B. Yehoshua is a highly regarded novelist known for his literary works that explore complex themes such as identity, history, and culture. Through his compelling storytelling and rich character development, Yehoshua has made significant contributions to contemporary Israeli literature and garnered international acclaim for his thought-provoking narratives.

We always knew how to honor fallen soldiers. They were killed for our sake, they went out on our mission. But how are we to mourn a random man killed in a terrorist attack while sitting in a cafe? How do you mourn a housewife who got on a bus and never returned?

The weapon of suicide bombing is so desperate that you aren't even left with the possibility of taking revenge or punishing anyone; the terrorist is killed along with his victims, his blood mixing with theirs.

At the heart of anti-Semitism lies Moses. He made a catastrophic error, a terrible mistake, and all anti-Semitism for two thousand years stems from his misjudgement. Moses said we Jews could remain a people without having a land. He said we don't need territory to hold onto our Jewish identity. This was a disaster.

Jews outside Israel live in permanent contradictio... -A. B. Yehoshua

Jews outside Israel live in permanent contradiction. I think they should come home.

I was proud my father spoke Arabic fluently - his father sent him to learn Arabic from a sheikh - and we had Arab friends. His task of understanding the Arabs - not only politics but poetry - was very important; he took it as a vocation.

I don't think that when Zionism began there was a claim that we were losing - even in part - our capacity to contribute to other peoples.

Traveling is one expression of the desire to cross... -A. B. Yehoshua

Traveling is one expression of the desire to cross boundaries.

World War II was a trauma that paralysed writers. ... -A. B. Yehoshua

World War II was a trauma that paralysed writers. It was something metaphysical, diabolical.

Jerusalem doesn't belong only to Israelis and Pale... -A. B. Yehoshua

Jerusalem doesn't belong only to Israelis and Palestinians, Muslims and Jews, but to the world.

In my DNA, the Zionist gene is extremely strong.... -A. B. Yehoshua

In my DNA, the Zionist gene is extremely strong.

I admit I think it is immoral for Jews to live in ... -A. B. Yehoshua

I admit I think it is immoral for Jews to live in the Diaspora.

One of the dreams of Zionism was to be a bridge. Instead, we are creating exclusion between the East and the West instead of creating bridges; we are contributing to the conflict between East and West by our stupid desire to have more.

For 50 years - that is, for most of my adult life - I worked tirelessly for the two-state solution in the face of countless frustrations, both on the part of the Israeli governments and the Palestinian Authority.

It's not what the rabbis say that defines Jewishness but what we Israelis do every day - our actions and our values.

This is why I am a Zionist: because Diaspora leads... -A. B. Yehoshua

This is why I am a Zionist: because Diaspora leads to hatred and the Holocaust.

The literary trappings and moralizing of science f... -A. B. Yehoshua

The literary trappings and moralizing of science fiction I find insufficiently compelling.

So with truth - there is a certain moment when one can say, this is the truth and here I put a dot, a stop, and I go to another thing. A judge has to put an end to a deliberation. But for a historian, there's never an end to the past. It can go on and on and on.

We have to rethink the two-state solution.... -A. B. Yehoshua

We have to rethink the two-state solution.

Intimate relationships are a gold mine for literat... -A. B. Yehoshua

Intimate relationships are a gold mine for literature to explore, to understand, to describe.

In my own view, Hamas's frustration derives from a lack of legitimization by Israel and by much of the world. It is this frustration that leads them to such destructive desperation. That's why we need to grant them status as a legitimate enemy - before we talk about an agreement or, alternatively, about a frontal war.

Let us not forget: The Palestinians in Gaza are ou... -A. B. Yehoshua

Let us not forget: The Palestinians in Gaza are our permanent neighbors, and we are theirs.

In a time of crisis, there is rational tendency to... -A. B. Yehoshua

In a time of crisis, there is rational tendency to turn to the writer.

I only published my first novel at the age of 40. ... -A. B. Yehoshua

I only published my first novel at the age of 40. Till then, I wrote short stories.

I am a serious reader, and I read slowly.... -A. B. Yehoshua

I am a serious reader, and I read slowly.

Our synagogues are spread all over the world, and we want people to respect them and look after them. And we have to respect the places of prayer of others.

I deeply respect literature and expect to gain insight from a book and to identify emotionally with its characters. I therefore avoid reading suspense novels or science fiction.

The malady of the Jews is that they don't see terr... -A. B. Yehoshua

The malady of the Jews is that they don't see territory as part of their identity.

I think about the Arabs not as enemies but as cousins. Even when we are in a fierce conflict with them, they are more of a kind of family - with all the problems of a family. We have to live with them.

And this is one of the major questions of our lives: how we keep boundaries, what permission we have to cross boundaries, and how we do so.

Israel is too attached to America, too influenced by America. It should be connected to Europe. America is based on mythology - the free man, the individual, the open frontier. Europe is more conscious of history. Take Britain and Shakespeare. You shape your identity through history.

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