Faraj Alexandre Rifai

Syrian writer and journalist, born in Syria to a communist family. Rifai, who grew up in a culture of antisemitism and hatred of Israel, studied in depth the effects of that hatred and became an ardent supporter of Israel. His books, “Great Somewhere Else” and “Syrian in Israel,” reflect his personal journey from hatred to understanding and document his encounters with Israelis. Today he writes and lectures about relations between Islam and the West and about building bridges between cultures.

Rifai is a graduate of France’s prestigious ESSEC and lives in France today.