Italian Author Erri De Luca: 'I Am Prepared to Lose Everything' for Backing Israel

Acclaimed Italian author Erri De Luca declared his firm support for Israel, stating he is prepared to "lose everything" for his convictions during an event at the International Writers Festival in Jerusalem. Speaking via video chat due to security concerns related to Iran, De Luca, who has a deep connection to biblical Hebrew and Jewish texts, emphasized his commitment to his beliefs.

“

I am prepared to lose everything for my convictions.

De Luca, recognized for translating biblical books like Jonah, Ruth, and Ecclesiastes into Italian, as well as Yiddish literature, shared how his views on Middle Eastern politics were profoundly altered by the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. "My adhesion to the Palestinian cause was interrupted suddenly in 1972, at the Munich Olympics and the Munich massacre. The fact that Jews were murdered in Germany completely dissociated me from the Palestinian cause from that moment on," he stated.

“

My adhesion to the Palestinian cause was interrupted suddenly in 1972, at the Munich Olympics and the Munich massacre. The fact that Jews were murdered in Germany completely dissociated me from the Palestinian cause from that moment on.

Despite his strong stance, De Luca maintained that his political convictions, while deeply felt as a citizen, do not permeate his writing, which he described as remaining that of a writer and reader. He expressed a hopeful outlook for the region, suggesting that the current conflict could be a catalyst for significant change. "What seems to me now is that this war has the possibility of being the last, because there is the possibility for both countries, Israel and Palestine, to change profoundly," De Luca said, envisioning a future where Palestine frees itself from Hamas and Israel potentially changes its government to pursue peace.

“

What seems to me now is that this war has the possibility of being the last, because there is the possibility for both countries, Israel and Palestine, to change profoundly.