Israeli Comic’s Hilarious, Heartrending Fight for Middle East Peace: ‘Coexistence, My Ass!’

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In the depths of “Coexistence, My Ass!”, Amber Fares’ moving, sharp, and frequently hilarious documentary featuring Israeli comedian and activist Noam Shuster Eliassi, there’s a scene where another comedian urges Eliassi to tone down her politically charged humor following the Hamas attacks on October 7. This friend suggests that as comedians, their role is to bridge gaps and foster unity among people.

Eliassi firmly expresses her disagreement with this excessive display of power, which appears to have swept everyone off their feet unwittingly,” she retorts, a conversation that highlights both her strong moral convictions and her powerful stance against Israel’s aggressive response towards the Palestinian population.

Eliassi’s film ‘Coexistence, My Ass!’ showcases her unwavering dedication to fostering unity. Despite the common belief that Israeli-Palestinian peace is too intricate, she exposes a starkly straightforward truth: there simply isn’t another option. This thought-provoking documentary, praised by Tomris Laffly of EbMaster as ‘urgent, enlightening, and incredibly empathetic’, is now screening at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival in the international competition.

Over a span of five tumultuous years, marked by the coronavirus pandemic and the consequences of the Oct. 7 events, the book “Coexistence, My Ass!” centers on a stand-up performance by comedian Eliassi in Montreal, held in 2024. In this show, she critiques a term frequently used in Middle Eastern peace negotiations to expose what she terms as a “feel-good industry instead of a genuine lived experience.

She questions how we can discuss living together harmoniously when the Palestinians are still not allowed to fully live and breathe, a statement that packs a powerful punch in the film. It seems that true coexistence is impossible when one group holds power over another.

Eliassi was brought up by parents she refers to as “awakened progressive liberals” – a group that many Israelis dislike intensely, according to her conversation with EbMaster. She spent her childhood in Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam, a unique village whose name translates to “Oasis of Peace” in Hebrew and Arabic. This settlement was established by Israeli Jews and Arabs in the 1960s and is the only place in Israel where Jewish and Palestinian individuals have voluntarily decided to reside together. Here, Eliassi learned to navigate different languages and cultures, a skill fostered by a shared vision of harmonious coexistence. (She jokes in the film that all the children in the village were essentially being prepared for the Nobel Peace Prize.)

After some time, she ended up enrolling at Brandeis University, focusing on international relations studies. Subsequently, she secured a position with the United Nations, aiming to establish lasting peace in the Middle East region. Nevertheless, her true passion was discovered not in the “peace sector” but on stage, where her distinctive background and sharp sense of humor seemed to fit more comfortably – and arguably, as she emphasizes, crucially.

Eliassi points out that through peace-building and activism, he might impact around 20 or 200 individuals. But when he crafts a particularly hilarious joke, it has the potential to touch the lives of up to 20 million people if it spreads virally. He acknowledges the undeniable influence humor holds.

In 2019, Eliassi got invited to Harvard University to create her “Coexistence, My Ass!” comedy performance. It was during this period that she rekindled her relationship with Fares, a Canadian filmmaker who had lived in the West Bank for almost a decade and met Eliassi while making his documentary “Speed Sisters” about an all-female racing team competing in the Palestinian territory. At that time, Eliassi was still employed by the U.N., and Fares remembers how effortlessly she navigated various social groups, seamlessly switching between Hebrew, English, and Arabic at different gatherings.

Fares remarks, ‘She effortlessly shatters stereotypes.’ In her fluency with Arabic and deep comprehension of Palestinian culture and their fight for justice, there’s an honesty and distinctiveness that I find genuinely authentic and exceptional.

Originally planned as a short film about Eliassi’s performances on U.S. college campuses during the 2020 presidential election, “Coexistence, My Ass!” underwent a significant change when Eliassi contracted COVID-19 and was quarantined with hundreds of Palestinians and Jews in Israel, which she fondly named “Hotel Corona.” Fares proposed a short film about this unique experience to Al Jazeera. However, the project expanded over time, with Fares deciding to follow Eliassi for several years instead. This shift not only captured her journey to viral fame but also unwittingly documented events leading up to October 7th, giving the film a level of relevance that it previously lacked, as the director explains.

After the challenging times and weeks that ensued, humor was no longer a priority for Eliassi. “I couldn’t muster humor again,” she admits. “It took me a significant amount of time to regain my footing…[and question], ‘Is it acceptable to laugh? Is it okay for me to make light of things?'” The pivotal moment occurred several months later, during a theater performance in Jaffa with a Palestinian spoken-word artist. “I observed the audience’s reaction, people who are often homebound, feeling suppressed and scared,” she says. “And I realized, ‘Oh my goodness, people really need some fresh air. People really need laughter.’

Prior to October 7th, Eliassi’s politically charged comedy had created tension with Israel’s comedy scene. She expresses her frustration saying, “I see these comedians who can joke about anything under the sun, and they don’t feel a hint of responsibility to address the issues I tackle.” After Israel invaded Gaza, several comedians started performing at military bases to lift soldiers’ spirits, which Eliassi likens to contributing to the war effort with their humor.

In the past 18 months or so, the environment for her type of comedy hasn’t gotten significantly better. “I feel apprehensive, especially post-October 7th, about repeating what I was saying before, as there seems to be an increase in suppressing voices like mine,” she expresses. “And let’s not forget my Palestinian friends who face arrest for simply liking posts on social media.

Among them is Arab-Israeli stand-up comedian Nidal Badarny, who was detained on February 24 under accusations of “disrupting public order” due to jokes he made in recent weeks regarding hostages taken by Hamas. The humorist, who was subsequently freed without charges a few hours later, attributed the incident to an “agitation campaign instigated by extremist racist groups” that also resulted in two of his comedy performances being called off by the Israeli police.

Despite the challenges, Eliassi persists in her work, and she remains optimistic about a lasting harmony between Israelis and Palestinians, asserting, “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” The day after the Academy Awards, speaking to EbMaster from Jaffa, she was brimming with excitement over the victory of “No Other Land,” the joint Israeli-Palestinian documentary that won the award for best documentary. She considers Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, and Rachel Szor as friends, expressing her admiration by saying, “It’s incredible what they achieved.” She was awake before sunrise to catch the live broadcast of the ceremony from the Dolby Theatre.

Eliassi demonstrates the relentless dedication Fares refers to as her work ethic, whether it’s in her activism or comedy career. She expresses the challenges she faces by saying, “I’m protesting, I’m posting. I’m trying to do all the things we tell ourselves could potentially make a difference, and it’s tough.” Eliassi goes on to explain that this commitment is not just for this film or one comedy routine or protest, but is a long-term part of her life.

She emphasizes that there’s no choice but to persist in our struggle for a straightforward truth. We’re battling for fairness and equity, as it’s the sole means for people to coexist harmoniously on this land. It’s what guarantees security and liberty.

The Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Festival runs March 6 – 16.

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2025-03-07 08:52