Invasion play supported by Palestine solidarity campaign

By Finnian Cox

“This is my own history, and so I feel it gives me a certain authority as this particular piece belongs to my family, but also comes with a certain responsibility.”

Those were the words of Benjamin Rivers as he spoke in Cork about his new play, a one-man show with a roster of 12 characters from his own family’s history.

Written by Rivers, ‘The Invader’s Fear of Memories’ follows the story of his great-grandfather Yossef Nachmani, who was one of the key figures in the foundation of the state of Israel.

While it’s easy to assume the piece is an epic retelling of Israel’s foundation against the odds, in reality, this is not the case, as Rivers presents a criticism of his great-grandfather’s actions.

“I didn’t make this dramatic shift from being pro-Israel to anti-Zionist, but it was more that I was ignorant about our history” Rivers said.

Performed with the support of the Cork Palestine Solidarity campaign in the Cork Arts Theatre on Tuesday, Rivers described how thorough they had been in helping him perform the piece.

The newspaper asked Rivers if he had noticed a change in how the play was received since the 7 October attack in Israel by Hamas, and the subsequent razing of Gaza by Israel.

“In some ways, it made the play much more relevant and has meant there’s a great demand as people have been waking up to what’s happening and there’s a hunger to learn more,” he said, after some thought.

He added: “This destruction in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank, it’s not new and when you read excerpts of my great-grandfather’s diary, he himself is describing massacres and rapes that took place in the villages in 1948.

“When I hear for example about Jenin refugee camp being attacked by gunships, or bulldozers destroying the infrastructure, my heart goes out to the people living there, because I know those streets, I know those people.”

Rivers’ extensive knowledge on the 76 years of Israeli control of Palestine becomes clear as do the threads of connection he has to each side of the struggle.

Moving to the Jenin Refugee camp for four years to gain a better understanding, Rivers said he “discovered that everything I had read and everything I had seen really didn’t prepare me for the reality that I encountered”.

“A question for me when I was writing the play was what perspective to tell the story from, because this is a story about colonisation, of ethnic cleansing,” said Mr Rivers.

His play displayed his deep understanding of the conflict, delivered with the unshakable confidence of a person who has experienced it first-hand.

“A part of me wanted to include a lot of Palestinian testimonies as they are the target of the violations- but I also felt like it’s not my story to tell,” he disclosed.

“There are plenty of incredible Palestinian directors and actors who have already produced many plays that tell their story.”

“What I felt was missing were stories from a Jewish perspective, critical of Zionism, that shine a light on the crimes committed by our people.

“It’s a very important role for people connected to the oppressor class.”