Earlier this week, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition organized an exhibit of Palestinian children’s art. The exhibit consisted of 50 drawings depicting what it is like to live under Israeli occupation. The most consistent image, which appeared in almost every drawing, was of Israeli Defense Forces killing civilians, especially children.
It is a reality that IDF targets Palestinian children. We saw this in the documentary “Gaza Strip,” which was shown on our campus April 21. It is a dangerous reality. Anyone who sees it cannot help but oppose the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land and the destruction of Palestinian society and morale. Of course, it makes some people uncomfortable. But art is supposed to challenge people and their complacencies.
Criticizing Israeli policy, government and military does not make one racist or anti-Semitic. Naomi Klein, Tim Wise and other prominent Jewish-American writers have lamented the fact that the Jewish right often makes accusations of “anti-Semitism” to silence legitimate criticism of Israeli policy and society.
This does not mean anti-Semitic people don’t criticize Israel for the wrong reasons. I reject all criticisms of Israel that stem from anti-Semitism. At the same time, there are legitimate reasons to criticize Israel due solely to its behavior toward the Palestinians, “Israeli Arabs” and dissenting Jews.
There are many, many Jewish people who disagree with what Israel is doing. Two of the best sources on the oppression of Palestinians are Israeli human rights organizations: Gush Shalom and B’Tselem.
If we are really going to talk about racism, we should consider the fact that elected members of the Israeli government openly advocate the full “transfer” of Palestinians off their land. “Transfer” is simply another word for ethnic cleansing. I guess the word “transfer” is supposed to mask the reality of the situation or make it sound more palatable. Furthermore, this kind of thinking advocates collective punishment, which is what we are currently seeing in Jenin and other Palestinian towns. Didn’t we learn our lesson about collective punishment in World War II?
The Palestinian children’s art depicts experiences that are completely ignored by the U.S. media. It illustrates the reality of children who suffer immense violence simply because of their identity. Any person looking at the drawings would be seriously upset, and rightly so.
Greg Steinberger’s claim that the art does not foster dialogue for peace is simply an attempt to silence the Palestinian narrative and experience. It is only by suppressing Palestinian voices that Israel can attempt to ethnically cleanse an entire population. If we heard their cries (or saw their pictures), Americans would not support Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. Only when the Palestinian experience is made visible and acknowledged can a true discussion about peace ensue. How can two parties, in any conflict, negotiate peace if they don’t understand what the other party is going through?
Sarah Kaiksow ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in women’s studies and sociology.
