海角大神

鈥淲hen I leave Palestine, I鈥檒l probably have nightmares and constantly feel guilty about not being there,鈥� agonizes the Israeli actress playing Rachel Corrie, the American activist killed in Gaza in 2003.听

She paces the stage in jeans and kaffiyeh, contemplating injustice and the madness of the intifada.听

The theater goes dark and audio of an Israeli soldier relaying the news of her death to his commander plays against the roar of a bulldozer 鈥� authentic evidence used in a failed suit against the state.

This is the first Hebrew-language performance of "My Name is Rachel Corrie,"聽a one-woman, 90-minute monologue based on the college student鈥檚 diaries and e-mails. 聽

Ms. Corrie, from Olympia, Wash., joined the pro-Palestinian International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in January 2003 when she was 23. 聽She was killed by a military bulldozer two months later, while trying to block the demolition of a pharmacist鈥檚 house in Rafah, Gaza.

During its rule over the Strip, the IDF attempted to thwart the flow of weapons via smuggling tunnels by razing homes, a practice human rights groups condemned as collective punishment for Palestinian suicide bombings. A 2010 Haifa District Court聽ruling stated that the state bore no responsibility for Corrie鈥檚 death.听While the Rachel Corrie incident was largely glossed over in the Israeli press, amongst pro-Palestinians at home and abroad she became an inspirational icon.听

Today, a decade after Corrie鈥檚 death, is the perfect time for Israel to review its military history, says Ari Remez, the play's director. And Jerusalem, the epicenter of the conflict, is the perfect setting. The play has gained traction with a diverse crowd, he says.听

鈥淚 wanted to understand what brought her here, and what that says about us [Israelis],鈥� says Mr. Remez.听

He was delighted that 鈥減eople came to see the play 鈥� not leftists 鈥� explicitly out of curiosity, and many left identifying with Rachel Corrie鈥檚 set of ethics and hopes for a better world.鈥澛�

But the play has not been unanimously well received.听Deputy mayor of Jerusalem David Hadari dubbed Corrie an 鈥渁nti-Israel tourist.鈥澛�

鈥淩achel Corrie was killed. It was an accident,鈥� says Mr. Hadari. 鈥淏ut it needs to be mentioned that everything she was was against Israel, and we as a state don鈥檛 need to acknowledge or appreciate her.鈥�

His campaign to halt the $90,000 in public funding to the Khan Theater, the venue hosting the production, ultimately, was nixed by Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat.听

鈥淓ven if the municipality and mayor don鈥檛 agree with the specific content that presents soldiers in a negative light, we are prevented by law from interfering in the freedom of expression,鈥� said Mr. Barkat in a statement.听

Across town last month in East Jerusalem, the annual Palestinian children鈥檚 puppet theater festival was not so lucky. 聽聽

Israel鈥檚 Ministry of Defense cancelled performances and shut the theater based on the claim that the festival鈥檚 organizer illegally received funds from the Palestinian Authority.

By contrast, "Rachel Corrie"聽was produced by a state-supported organization, and in its content and backstory belonged to an international framework.听

Controversy, however, is nothing new to the play. In New York, Florida, and Vancouver, shows were reportedly canceled due to pressure from Jewish and pro-Israel groups.

鈥�99 percent of the opposition came from those who haven鈥檛 seen the play,鈥� says Sivane Kretchner, the Israeli actress in the title role, 鈥淏ut we still need the discussion.鈥澛�

In Israel,聽arts聽critics have hailed the play as a testimony to innocent lives lost in the crossfire of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 agree with the message or with the one-sidedness of the play,鈥� says Jerusalem resident Sara Levinger, who came to the show because she heard it might be closing, 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 important that these types of issues are raised, to give us the chance to discuss them.鈥澛�