Can an Israeli Hebrew culture long survive in a region that is Arab, a region so completely different?
Shabtai: That is of course the main problem. The Occupation, the army and capitalism are destroying the country, both the landscape itself and the human landscape, part of which consists of the Palestinians, who are rooted here. The example for Israel should have been countries like Belgium, Switzerland, the US and Canada, states that provide a framework within which various groups can live together. The monument that best represents Israeli culture today is the separation wall. This is wedged into the nation’s consciousness and into Hebrew literature. The wall is the fixation that the literature keeps recycling. This literature does not function as a means for creating opposition, as a means for changing life. And so there is no change in life, rather only in lifestyle. Among the dark clouds you describe, can you see any light? Shabtai: If the society has an instinct for self-preservation, then change will take place. There will be revolution. For look, everything today is stacked aga
