“Never in my life have I felt that life gives you more than you deserve more than at that moment, where literature transforms into reality,” Khoury said in an interview at the time.

Khoury’s well-known love for Palestine meant even more to Itani when he was falsely accused of collaborating with Israel in Lebanon in 2017.

At the time, Khoury wrote a fierce piece defending Itani, and expressed his disgust towards those pursuing him.

When Itani went to thank Khoury, the latter told him, “Are you serious? I raised you!”