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Arab-Israelis see Haifa as capital of Palestinian culture

“Palestinians in Israel are a national minority that deserves cultural autonomy,” says Iyad Bargouti, acting director of the Arabic Culture Association, which promotes the establishment of a new Palestinian cultural center in the city of Haifa.
Arab Israeli dancers of the "Salma" dancing group perform "Ala Balee" at Jerash's northern theatre August 2, 2004. Inaugurated in 1981 by Queen Noor Al-Hussein, the Jerash festival is held annually with the participation of dozens of local and international bands and singers and attracts an audience from around the world. REUTERS/Ali Jarekji  AJ/DBP - RTR7WSU
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History was made Sept. 14 at the Al-Midan Theater in Haifa. It was the first time that the theater, founded in 1995, performed a play in Hebrew. "Oved Shabbat" (“Quieter Days”) was directed by Sinai Peter and written by playwrights Hanna Eady, a native of the Druze town of Peki’in, who now lives in the United States, and Edward Mast. The play was originally written in English and then translated into Hebrew. It will one day be performed in Arabic as well.

“This isn’t an act of coexistence,” says the theater’s artistic director, Salwa Nakara. “We liked the writing and the play’s approach,” she clarifies, “and we thought that presenting it to a Hebrew-speaking audience was the right thing to do. Our voice won’t be heard without Hebrew. Much to our chagrin, Israel today has yet to realize the importance of understanding the Arabic language.”

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