Excerpt from the insightful analysis by chief editor Karl van den Broeck, apache.be

"The most radical attempt to make the audience aware of the genocide in Gaza and the complexity of the Israeli-Palestinian issue was undoubtedly ‘Persians. Triumph of Empathy’ by Chokri Ben Chikha, Action Zoo Humain & NTGent. Ben Chikha draws on the oldest play in Western theatre literature: The Persians by Aeschylus, written in 472 BC. It recounts the Battle of Salamis from the perspective of the defeated: the Persians. This is remarkable, because Aeschylus himself fought alongside the Athenians who defeated the Persians. Is this a case of “empathy” or is the play a confirmation of the superiority of the Greeks?

We follow a group of drama students at the Flemish Theatre in Ghent in a society completely dominated by nationalist autocrats in 2031. The teacher is right-wing and pro-Israeli, but the actors are a mixed group that also includes Palestinians.

Ben Chikha documented himself for the play by travelling to the occupied Palestinian territories, including the festival grounds where Hamas later struck on 7 October 2023. Documentary fragments are shown during the performance.

Can we empathise with both the Israeli and Palestinian points of view? Or does empathy become an “excuse to look away from the real problems for as long as possible"?

The dancers are taught that the Holocaust justifies violence against the Palestinians. During a play, images of devastated Gaza are shown in the background, and it becomes very painful when the residents of the occupied territories realise that the ruins of the homes of displaced Palestinians lie hidden beneath their own homes.

The performance raises questions. Can we empathise with both the Israeli and Palestinian points of view? Or does empathy become an “excuse to look away from the real problems for as long as possible”? Food for lively discussion afterwards."

> Read Karl's full analysis here (Dutch)

> More about the performance 'Persians. Triumph of Empathy'