"Because we can't deal directly with Israeli publishers, which would cause a scandal in Egypt and the Arab world, we decided to negotiate with European publishing houses," he said.
Ondanks een vredesovereenkomst sinds 30 jaar wordt Israel nog steeds geboycot in Egypte. In die periode werden slechts 2 Israelische boeken vertaald en uitgegeven. De Egyptische cultuurminister Faruq Hosni heeft nu toestemming gegeven voor uitgaves van onder meer Oz en Grossman, waarschijnlijk om de weerstand tegen zijn nominatie voor de hoogste UNESCO-post te verminderen. Het hoeft niet te verbazen als achter de schermen met Israel is afgesproken dat in ruil voor het toestaan van meer vertalingen van Israelische boeken, Israel haar verzet tegen die benoeming heeft gestaakt. Daar zit dan een paar weken tussen zodat het verband niet zo direct opvalt.
Ondanks een vredesovereenkomst sinds 30 jaar wordt Israel nog steeds geboycot in Egypte. In die periode werden slechts 2 Israelische boeken vertaald en uitgegeven. De Egyptische cultuurminister Faruq Hosni heeft nu toestemming gegeven voor uitgaves van onder meer Oz en Grossman, waarschijnlijk om de weerstand tegen zijn nominatie voor de hoogste UNESCO-post te verminderen. Het hoeft niet te verbazen als achter de schermen met Israel is afgesproken dat in ruil voor het toestaan van meer vertalingen van Israelische boeken, Israel haar verzet tegen die benoeming heeft gestaakt. Daar zit dan een paar weken tussen zodat het verband niet zo direct opvalt.
Wouter
_____________
Agence Frqance Presse / June 11, 2009
Egypt to publish Israeli novels for first time
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jYLG2vBfQZTZTEz_C1yO9qrHRgWQ
CAIRO (AFP) - Egypt will publish Arabic translations of novels by renowned Israeli writers Amos Oz and David Grossman for the first time, a culture ministry official told AFP on Thursday.
"I hope to have signed an agreement with their English and French publishers by early July, without going via the Israeli publishers," said Gaber Asfur, head of the centre for translations, which is part of the culture ministry.
Culture Minister Faruq Hosni, whose bid to become the next director general of UNESCO has suffered setbacks because of comments he made about burning Israeli books, gave the project the green light, he said.
Only two Israeli books, Iraqi-born Eli Amir's novel "Yasmin" and a collection of poetry by Druze writer Naim Araidi, have been published in Arabic in Egypt, by a small private publishing house.
Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel, but it has since rejected cultural normalisation in protest at Israel's continued occupation of Arab land and its treatment of the Palestinians.
"In Egypt, we feel you can't dance and sing together when you see the bloody daily attacks against the Palestinian people," Hosni has said, adding that "once there is peace, it will be an entirely different matter."
Alaa Aswani, who wrote the renowned "Yacoubian Building" which was turned into a successful film, has also refused to have his book translated into Hebrew because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Asfur explained the choice of publishers. "Because we can't deal directly with Israeli publishers, which would cause a scandal in Egypt and the Arab world, we decided to negotiate with European publishing houses," he said.
Asfur said he was looking at publishing short stories by Oz, Grossman's "The Yellow Wind" about Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Israeli-occupied West Bank, as well as works by so-called new historians Tom Segev and Avi Shlaim.
"I hope to have signed an agreement with their English and French publishers by early July, without going via the Israeli publishers," said Gaber Asfur, head of the centre for translations, which is part of the culture ministry.
Culture Minister Faruq Hosni, whose bid to become the next director general of UNESCO has suffered setbacks because of comments he made about burning Israeli books, gave the project the green light, he said.
Only two Israeli books, Iraqi-born Eli Amir's novel "Yasmin" and a collection of poetry by Druze writer Naim Araidi, have been published in Arabic in Egypt, by a small private publishing house.
Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel, but it has since rejected cultural normalisation in protest at Israel's continued occupation of Arab land and its treatment of the Palestinians.
"In Egypt, we feel you can't dance and sing together when you see the bloody daily attacks against the Palestinian people," Hosni has said, adding that "once there is peace, it will be an entirely different matter."
Alaa Aswani, who wrote the renowned "Yacoubian Building" which was turned into a successful film, has also refused to have his book translated into Hebrew because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Asfur explained the choice of publishers. "Because we can't deal directly with Israeli publishers, which would cause a scandal in Egypt and the Arab world, we decided to negotiate with European publishing houses," he said.
Asfur said he was looking at publishing short stories by Oz, Grossman's "The Yellow Wind" about Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Israeli-occupied West Bank, as well as works by so-called new historians Tom Segev and Avi Shlaim.
Copyright - © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved.
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