“In the West Bank gay people are ostracised and victimised. Their lives are endangered, and they need to flee to safety,” says Israeli playwright Tomer Aldubi.
“And Israel is the place where they can take refuge. Since 2016 gay Palestinians can stay in Israel, thanks to the Israel Defence Force that interviews them and can grant them permission. This means that they can stay in the country for two years which gives them time to find a permanent solution and apply to the UN to settle in a refugee country.
“This is an important story and one that hardly anyone knows about. Israel offers a safe haven, a stepping stone to gay Palestinians, and even post October 7 this position has not changed.
The idea for the play came to journalist Tomer, who writes for the Israeli gay website Mako, back in 2018, when he interviewed three Palestinian gay men who wanted to tell their stories.
“At the time I knew nothing about the Palestinian gay community but, when I uncovered their stories, I knew I had to write a play and tell the world about the Palestinian Gay and Queer community living in Israel. If their sexuality is revealed in the West Bank there is a life sentence hanging over them. They know they can be killed.
“The title is ironic. In Arabic sharif means someone who has a lot of respect, the opposite of what it is like for gay people living in Palestine,” says Tomer. “Sharif represents all the different stories and experiences of the dozens of Palestinians I interviewed. The story centres around a gay Palestinian who is forced to flee for his life. He has to leave his lover and eventually finds safety in Israel.”
Tomer originally wrote Sharif in Hebrew and now, having had it translated it into English, the play is making its debut in London for one day only, then going on tour with the first stop America. An hour long, there are four actors, three men and one woman, and in order that the play remains authentic the performers are all either Israeli or Arab-Israeli.
Sharif is playing this Sunday 22 June The Bridge House Theatre in South east London. bridgehousetheatre.co.uk
