Dutch-Jewish poet masks Israeli roots to win Arab prize

One name sticks out from the list of winners in the prestigious El Hizjra poetry competition intended for Dutch Arabs, which was announced two weeks ago - Tuvit Shlomi, press officer for Holland's largest Zionist group.

For this reason, Shlomi - who works for the Center for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI) - submitted her two winning poems written in Dutch under an Arab pseudonym. "I did it to ensure my work is judged on content, not background," she says, in reference to the often-tense relations between local Jews and Dutch Arabs.

Although the competition is intended for Arabs, it is open to anyone. Past winners include renowned Dutch authors such as Abdelkader Benali, Mohammed Benzakour, and Rashid Novaire. Shlomi and six other winners received the award last Sunday in Amsterdam. She informed the panel of her true identity ahead of time.

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One of her poems, "A house of language," begins with the words: "I hate the Netherlands. Take only the language, which is so barren."

So the daughter of an Israeli immigrant writes this and wins an Arab-Dutch poetry contest with it. Charming.

Good for her, she sounds like a very formidable person.