Sayed Kashua

Get to know Sayed Kashua: his background, writings in Hebrew about Arab-Israeli identity, television work, migration, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Sayed Kashua (born 1975) is a Palestinian-Israeli author, journalist, and screenwriter, known for writing in Hebrew about the often painful and ironic tensions of Arab citizens of Israel.

Though he is often described as an “Israeli author,” his own identity is complex: he identifies as Palestinian, while carrying Israeli citizenship and writing primarily in Hebrew.

Early Life and Background

Sayed Kashua was born in Tira, in Israel’s “Triangle” region (an Arab-majority area) in 1975.

In his youth, Kashua won admission to a prestigious boarding school: the Israel Arts and Science Academy in Jerusalem (for gifted students).

He went on to study sociology and philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Literary & Media Career

Writing in Hebrew, As an Arab

One of the striking and controversial features of Kashua’s career is that, despite being an Arab who grew up speaking Arabic, he chose to write principally in Hebrew.

His works span novels, essays and columns, and television. He was a longtime columnist in the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz and in local Jerusalem weeklies.

Novels & Major Works

Some of his most important works include:

• Dancing Arabs (2002) — his first novel, exploring an Arab boy in a Jewish boarding school and identity dilemmas.

• Let It Be Morning (Hebrew: Va-Yehi Boker) (2006) — a novel about an Israeli Arab village caught in tensions.

• Second Person Singular (2010) — explores assimilation and identity, especially among Arabs who integrate into Israeli institutions.

• Track Changes (2017) — one of his more recent novels, continuing to probe identity and inner conflict.

• Native: Dispatches from an Israeli-Palestinian Life (2016) — a collection of his columns and personal essays reflecting on life as an Arab in Israel.

His works are translated into many languages, which has helped him reach an international audience.

Television & Screenwriting

Kashua also created and wrote for Israeli television. Notably:

• Arab Labor (Avoda Aravit) — a satirical sitcom launched in 2007. It uses both Arabic and Hebrew, and focuses on the life of an Arab-Israeli journalist trying to navigate both Jewish and Arab worlds.

• The Writer — another show exploring identity, fame, and alienation.

• Madrasa (2023) — a more recent comedy about a bilingual school in Jerusalem, dealing with language, identity, and belonging.

One of his novels, Dancing Arabs, was adapted into a film (sometimes known as A Borrowed Identity). Let It Be Morning was released.

Migration, Critique & Change

By 2014, Kashua announced that he would leave Jerusalem and Israel, citing disillusionment with the failure of coexistence and constant social rejection.

In November 2017, Kashua wrote a farewell column titled “Sayed Kashua Bids Adieu: The Perils of Being an Arab-Israeli Writer”, announcing a hiatus from his regular column.

His position is sometimes controversial: among Israeli Arabs, some criticize him for focusing on Hebrew readership or for perceived distance from Arabic language or identity; among Jewish readers, he is both praised for bridging gaps and criticized for being overly pessimistic.

Themes & Style

Kashua’s writing often explores:

• Bordered identities — being Arab in a Jewish state; belonging and exclusion.

• Language as power and barrier — choosing Hebrew over Arabic, navigating linguistic domination.

• Humor and irony — many of his essays and columns use sarcasm and absurdity to expose prejudice and double standards.

• Alienation and internal conflict — characters often struggle internally with belonging, assimilation, rejection.

• Everyday life as political — he often frames large political and social issues via domestic interactions, family, school, workplaces.

His style blends satire, personal reflection, and sometimes self-deprecation, making heavy topics more accessible to broad readerships.

Recognition & Awards

Kashua has received many honors:

• Prime Minister’s Prize for Hebrew Literary Works (Israel)

• Grinzane Cavour Prize (Italy) for Dancing Arabs (first novel)

• Lessing Prize for Critics (Germany)

• Bernstein Prize for Second Person Singular

• Prix des lecteurs du Var (France) for Second Person Singular

He is widely regarded as one of the most provocative and significant contemporary Hebrew-writing Arab authors.

Selected Quotes

Here are a few quotes that reflect Kashua’s perspectives on identity, language, and belonging:

“I wanted to tell Israelis the Palestinian story.” (on writing in Hebrew) “Everything people had told me since I was a teenager is coming true. Jewish-Arab coexistence has failed.” (from his Haaretz announcement) “He will be devastated … maybe a very strange comedy about the first Palestinian Superman.” (from an interview, when discussing identity and hero narratives)

These lines demonstrate his blending of hope, frustration, and imagination.

Legacy & Impact

Sayed Kashua is a bridge figure — someone who lives between languages, identities, and communities. He has opened windows for Jewish Israeli audiences into Arab-Israeli life and challenged stereotypes through humor and nuance.

His television work (especially Arab Labor) has influenced how Arab-Israelis are portrayed in popular culture.

His migration to the U.S. also marks a shift: the diaspora of Palestinian intellectuals, the question of where one can safely and freely write, and how identity transforms in exile.

Above all, his life and work pose difficult questions about belonging, language, power, and the cost of speaking across divides.