Ben Sina, dramatische Gedicht in fünf Aufzügen, by Aziz Domet. Vienna: Samuel Insel, 1924. German.

The drama Ben Sina by Palestinian author Aziz Domet, nominee for the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature, a supporter of the Zionist movement and the return of the Jewish people to Eretz Israel.

At the beginning of the volume is a portrait of Domet by Hermann Struck (signed and dated in the plate), executed in Haifa in 1924, presumably made for this publication of the play. On the title page appears an autograph inscription:
"To my dear friend, Mr. Hermann Struck, with love and friendship, dedicated by the author, Aziz Domet, Berlin, 4 August" (German; signature in Arabic).

Aziz Domet (1890-1943) was a Palestinian author writing in German – a unique voice among Arab writers of the 20th century – who, in his early works, embraced the Zionist ideal. In 1922, he published "Joseph Trumpeldor", a three-act drama about the Battle of Tel Hai, described by Avigdor Hameiri as "the first Eretz Israel drama" and regarded by some as the first work of its kind to place the theme of Jewish nationalism at its center.

During the 1920s, his works achieved success in Europe and in Palestine. At this time, he was in contact with many leaders and thinkers of the Zionist movement, despite sharp criticism from the Arab press. Dividing his life between Europe and Palestine, he gave public readings of his plays, visited Jewish moshavot, and was invited as an honoured guest to the reception for Chaim Weizmann’s arrival in the country in 1923 – an encounter which left a deep impression on Weizmann, who in turn introduced him to Albert Einstein.

Domet's vision of Jewish-Arab partnership began to waver after the 1929 riots, and throughout the 1930s his views shifted until he became an ardent opponent of Zionism. On the eve of World War II, he emigrated to Germany, where he was employed as an Arabic-language propaganda broadcaster for Radio Berlin. Presumably because of his earlier pro-Jewish writings, he was arrested at the start of the war and sent to Dachau concentration camp, where he perished in 1943. His literary output, life story, and unique voice remained largely forgotten until recent years, when it emerged that he had been among the nominees for the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature.

78, [1] pages. 12 cm. Good condition. Stains and minor blemishes. Margins of inscription trimmed, with minor loss to text. Ink stamp to margin of title page. Old binding, worn and damaged.