Mati Shemoelof: Poetry, Resistance and Israeli-Palestinian Coexistence
Poet and writer Mati Shemoelof speaks with Dr. Michael Mero about resistance poetry, Palestinian and Israeli lives, Jewish memory in Germany, and the struggle for coexistence.
Poetry, Resistance and the Possibility of Coexistence: Mati Shemoelof in Conversation with Dr. Michael Maro
In this in-depth conversation, Berlin-based Israeli-Jewish poet, writer and editor Mati Shemoelof speaks with Dr. Michael Mero about poetry, political responsibility, and the possibility of Israeli-Palestinian coexistence amid the ongoing war.
The discussion centres on two poems published in HaHitnagdut (Resistance), Issue 32, devoted to coexistence and edited by poet Ilan Sheinfeld: “The Angel of History” and “Every Day a Palestinian Dies.” Shemoelof reflects on grief, the loss of human life, the difficulty of imagining a shared future, and the responsibility of resisting cycles of violence.
Drawing on his experience as a writer living in Berlin, Shemoelof also discusses diaspora, Jewish historical memory, antisemitism in Germany, and visits to sites connected to the medieval antisemitic Judensau image and the Nazi-era T4 killings of people with disabilities.
The conversation explores the need for political vision, courageous leadership, mutual listening, and a just future for Israelis and Palestinians.
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Tags - Mati Shemoelof, Michael Maro, Israeli Palestinian coexistence, Hebrew poetry, resistance poetry, Israeli Palestinian conflict, Palestinian lives, Jewish memory in Germany, antisemitism in Germany, Israeli writer in Berlin, poetry and politics, The Angel of History, Every Day a Palestinian Dies, Ilan Sheinfeld, Jewish Arab identity, peace and justice