Yair Garbuz
- My Old New Land
- Feb 8, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: May 2
Yair Garbuz (1945–2026) was an Israeli artist, author, and humorist - and one of the country's most influential and provocative cultural voices.
Since his debut in 1967, Garbuz's work has been exhibited in dozens of exhibitions (individual and grouped ones) in Israel and abroad. His work is available on the following link.
Garbuz taught at "HaMidrasha" art faculty from 1973 to 2009.
In the 1970s Garbuz worked in many different media, evoking politics and self-parody. More than an artist, he was a sharp public intellectual whose work exposed the deepest tensions and contradictions of Israeli society — the friction between secular and religious identities, the center and the periphery, and the heavy weight of memory versus modern politics.
He wrote the book "Always Polish" ("Tamid Polani"), an adapted collection of his (humorous) notes in newspapers, based on his personal life, including anecdotes about his Polish family, the kibbutz, and everyday life.
Following the success of the book, Garbuz embarked on a six-month sabbatical experience in Paris, which greatly influenced his career.
In September 2009, he lent the Israel Knesset two pictures of his work. The photos were displayed in Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin's office, highlighting his important place in the Israeli cultural landscape.
Yair Garbuz won the Rappaport Award* in 2015. His presentation video is available below.
That same year, his legacy became inextricably linked to his controversial address at Rabin Square (Youtube video). By questioning how a minority of "amulet-kissers and idol-worshippers" had come to "control the majority," Garbuz ignited a firestorm - one that crystallized the divide between the secular Ashkenazi left and the traditional, largely Mizrahi right, and that many believe reshaped the 2015 election to the 20th Knesset. The speech became shorthand for the cultural disconnect within the country.
This speech is known as the "Kissers of Amulets".
"Israeli art doesn't waste time on nonsense."
In this video, you can see explanations about his exhibit in the Tel Aviv Museum of Arts, and the controversy over his candidacy to win the Israeli Prize provoked due to his active support to the Meretz Political Party.
Whether seen as a brave satirist or a condescending elitist, Garbuz forced Israeli society to confront uncomfortable truths. His work remains a vital lens for anyone trying to read the deeper cultural and political layers of modern Israel - and to go beyond the clichés.
*The Rappaport Award is an award in the name of Ruth and Baruch Rappaport, awarded by "The Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Foundation", giving recognition to Science, arts and female action in Israeli society:
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