The unexpected friendship between an Arab and Israeli writer

Published December 20, 2023 at 7:01 PM EST

The sky is illuminated red at sunset behind mosque minarets in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip near the border with Egypt on December 17, 2023 amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Photo by SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Even before the recent turmoil in the Middle East, an Israeli and Arab writer developed an unexpected friendship.

“Now we’ve never actually met. And we’ve never actually spoken. We write long letters to each other,” says Yossi Klein Halevi.

For the first time, Israeli writer Yossi Klein Halevi and Arab writer R.F. Georgy will have a conversation, live on our show.

“I acknowledge your humanity, you acknowledge my humanity. And as long as we acknowledge our collective humanity, hate will start to diminish,” Georgy says.

Today, On Point: Halevi and Georgy’s friendship and their hopes for peace in the region.

Guests

Yossi Klein Halevi, Israeli writer and a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. His latest book is called Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor. Author of the op-ed The lonely people of history, published in The Times of Israel.

R.F. Georgy, Egyptian-American author. His novel, Absolution: A Palestinian Israeli Love Story, is slated to be adapted to film by Israeli director Eran Riklis. Author of the op-ed The disposable people of history, published in The Times of Israel.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.