BERLIN (JTA) — Israeli writer David Grossman was awarded the prestigious Peace Prize at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair.
Grossman, 56, whose latest novel, "To the End of the Land," came out last summer, was honored Sunday for his commitment to building bridges between Israel and the Palestinians, according to the German Publishers and Booksellers Association.
The association noted that Grossman continued his efforts despite the fact that his own son, Uri, was killed by Hezbollah rocket fire during the conflict with Lebanon in 2006.
In an address praising the author, Joachim Gauck, a Protestant pastor and human rights activist from the former East Germany, called Grossman a "symbol of the peace movement" in Israel.
The prize is worth about $40,000.
In receiving the prize, Grossman said Israel should learn from its tragedies and make a fresh start, according to news reports.
"To the End of the Land" confronts the anguish of a mother journeying through Israel, and through the country’s past, trying to avoid receiving bad news about her son, who has re-enlisted in the army at the start of the second intifada.
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