Nagougi
{{Infobox book
| name = Nagougi
| original_title = ناغوغي (رواية)
| author = Hassan Hamid
| country = Palestine
| language = Arabic
| genre = Novel
| publisher = Ministry of Culture (Palestine)
| release_date = 2021
| pages = 224
| isbn =
| image =
}}
Nagougi (Arabic: ناغوغي) is a novel by Palestinian writer Hassan Hamid. The novel was first published in 2021 {{Cite book |last=حميد |first=حسن |url=https://koha.birzeit.edu/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=324893 |title=ناغوغي الصغير: رواية |date=2021 |publisher=وزارة الثقافة الفلسطينية، |others=وزارة الثقافة الفلسطينية |location=البيرة}}by the Palestinian Ministry of Culture. It consists of 224 pages.{{Cite web |title=Nwf.com: ناغوغي الصغير: حسن حميد: كتب |url=https://www.neelwafurat.com/itempage.aspx?id=lbb397281-395356&search=books |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=www.neelwafurat.com}}{{Cite web |date=2025-01-28 |title=Al Istiqlal Library - ناغوغي الصغير |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250128120615/https://www.library.pass.ps/book-21572-en.html |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=web.archive.org}}{{Cite web |title=فوز الروائي الفلسطيني حسن حميد بجائزة نجيب محفوظ في مصر والعالم العربي |url=https://madar.news/%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B2-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%86-%D8%AD%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B2%D8%A9/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=وكالة مدار نيوز |language=ar}}
Plot and setting
The events of the novel take place in various locations such as Jacob's Bridge, Quneitra, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Damascus, and Ethiopia, where Nagougi spent his childhood. The novel does not focus on a specific time period, moving between the past, when Nagougi lived in Ethiopia, and the present after he was transferred from there and conscripted by the Israeli occupation in Palestine.{{cite web|title=Riad Al-Hawari - The Jew in the Novel "Nagougi al-Saghir" by Hassan Hamid|url=https://www.ahewar.org/debat/show.art.asp?aid=742029|access-date=2025-01-29|newspaper=Al-Hewar Al-Mutamaddin}}
Literary style
The novel is narrated in the first person through the protagonist's diary, which is translated by Noor, a Palestinian mediator who conveys his story into Arabic. Despite his past as an Israeli soldier, the story highlights the Palestinian culture of tolerance. The narrative is written in formal Arabic, incorporating stylistic devices and poetic verses.
Overview
The novel deals with the struggles of Ethiopian Jews in Israel through the character of Nagougi, who faces two types of racism: racial discrimination due to his skin color and discrimination in Israel because of the war and occupation. Nagougi leads a difficult life in Nazareth, having been transferred there from his homeland in Ethiopia to Palestine, initially believing he was going to paradise. He is later conscripted to serve in the military and participates in the torture of Palestinians, unaware of the full implications of his actions. The novel reveals the Palestinian capacity for forgiveness, as Nagougi receives humane treatment from them, despite his past as an Israeli soldier. It also shows the strength of Palestinians in Israeli prisons, where they continue to educate and create despite the harsh conditions they endure. Nagougi seeks refuge in four emotional relationships with women in an attempt to escape the harsh reality he faces in the occupation state. The novel concludes with Nagougi's return to his homeland after realizing that he was a victim of the oppressive Israeli system.{{cite news|date=2023-07-12|language=en-US|title=Hana' Obaid: The Ethiopian Nagougi in Palestine|url=https://www.raialyoum.com/%D9%87%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%BA%D9%88%D8%BA%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AB%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86/|access-date=2025-01-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250228035554/https://www.raialyoum.com/%25D9%2587%25D9%2586%25D8%25A7%25D8%25A1-%25D8%25B9%25D8%25A8%25D9%258A%25D8%25AF-%25D9%2586%25D8%25A7%25D8%25BA%25D9%2588%25D8%25BA%25D9%258A-%25D8%25A7%25D9%2584%25D8%25A3%25D8%25AB%25D9%258A%25D9%2588%25D8%25A8%25D9%258A-%25D9%2581%25D9%258A-%25D9%2581%25D9%2584%25D8%25B3%25D8%25B7%25D9%258A%25D9%2586/|archive-date=2025-02-28}}