Truth v Fiction
It isn’t often that I decide to do this, but I have just dashed off a letter to The Independent. I have been moved to write in response to this excellent piece by Howard Jacobson.
Sir,
Caryl Churchill’s controversial play Seven Jewish Children (Howard Jacobson, 18 February) depicts hate-filled, evil Jewish mothers corrupting their children. Ms Churchill is clearly not a Jewish mother, and has no Jewish children. On the other hand the mother of the late Yoni Jesner, a British medical student blown up by a suicide bomber on a bus in Tel Aviv, is dual qualified.
Her dead son’s kidneys were donated without her knowledge, by the Israeli hospital where he died, to a young Palestinian child who was at the top of their wait list. They made no discrimination between Arab and Jew, nor made any allowance for how the boy had met his death. When his mother learned what had happened, she visited the Palestinian family. She showed nothing but love for the Palestinian girl and her parents in the face of the greatest loss any mother could ever endure.
Yoni Jesner’s mother is a real Jewish mother, of her real and beloved Jewish child, now dead. She is the courageous face of the truth, not fiction.
Yours sincerely
Marilyn Stowe
The Old Court House
Harrogate
HG1 1LT
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3 Comments
Marilyn on February 22, 2009 at 11:41 am
Your observations on the distorted views of Caryl Churchill are totally correct. She is a perfect example of those wishing to promote their biased views in place of fact and history. It is easiy to contort reality with lies and hate. Sadly it is not only the media that helps promote this evil it has now filtered through to the “arts”
The grotesque play gives the viewer a clearer inght into the authors mind than a look at the truth.
Marilyn Stowe on February 22, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Thanks for this. It do believe that freedom of speech is sacrosanct, even if we dont always agree with what is said. But there are other freedoms too, guaranteed by law, which we enjoy in this country, in a multi racial society, and I think this play has crossed the line. As a Jewish mother, of a Jewish child, the test of anti semitism is mine to apply and I find it deeply offensive and anti semitic. I do not believe it should be playing in a London theatre.
PS
I dont know if you are actually called ‘Marilyn’ but to avoid confusion your comment didnt come from me!
Raymond Graham on February 24, 2009 at 12:15 am
What a fascinating letter Marilyn! The story of Yoni Jesner and his mother brings hope to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, even in these difficult times. It is a shame that such stories are rarely portrayed by the media; rather the media seems intent on filling our pages with stories of hate, death and destruction, which are all too frequently distant from the truth. Ms Churchill’s play is a dangerous piece of fiction that creates such a horrifically distorted impression of the Jewish religion, a religion that teaches nothing but love, peace and respect. I have visited Israel over 30 times, I have many Israeli friends all of whom have served in the IDF at some point in time and I feel fully qualified to state that the impression of Jewish Israelis created by Ms Churchill is so far from reality that it would almost be laughable if it was not so dangerous. I congratulate you Marilyn on bringing this to your readers’ attention.