A picture is worth a thousand words, and this video goes beyond that. It contains powerful drawings, created by children in Gaza, expressing the horrors they experienced during Operation Cast Lead, which of course began nearly two years ago. These children share the painful physical and emotional devastation caused by Israel's actions. Many of these young artists will never escape the hell they lived through.
This video is part of a larger project, the traveling art exhibit, "A Child's View from Gaza," developed by Joyce Ravitz and myself after we visited Gaza in June 2009. Having seen drawings in an art therapy class, we felt an exhibit of similar drawings should be developed and shown in the US. "A Child's View from Gaza." was born!
I used the internet to find participants and began collecting drawings from six Gazan children's centers. The picture were created by children aged seven through twelve. Rajie Cook, a well known graphic artist who is currently recognized for protest art, began creating the video as a recruitment took to secure venues for the exhibit. Rajie drew in his long time friend photographer Thomas Francisco into the project. Francisco used his musical talents selecting and mixing the music. Their finished project is fantastic!
Hopefully some of you viewing these pictures will want to present the message communicated by children and their art in your own communities. For venue suggestions, additional information, and questions, email: achildsview1@gmail.com
susan, this is an extremely powerful video. thank you so much. the art…no words.
Label it “A Child’s View from Sderot” and you’ll have a hit on your hands.
I told you that the crayons would be a danger to Israel.
The abuse of the Star of David won’t be forgotten
These should be on the Seattle ads as well.
Meanwhile, according to Jon Stewart and his Israel Lobby hobby, the children in Gaza are radicalized by Hamas TV shows.
“Why”, you may ask?
Well, according to Jon’s hobby, the children in Gaza were living in an Israeli-made oasis — you know, from the only democracy in the Middle East — and it wasn’t until Hamas and its TV shows came along, that the children in Gaza started to begrudge Israel.
The cartoon TV shows in question showed Israeli soldiers shooting children. They showed Israeli teachers instructing their students about the barbarity of the Arab.
Fantasy, all of it. Just don’t pay attention to any of the Israeli press reports on the IDF chief Rabbi circulating pamphlets in which he allowed the blood of Palestinians, children included. And don’t pay attention to the family of 9 who’s just been murdered in front of your own eyes by Israeli soldiers because what you’re seeing is virtual reality, clearly dreamt up by Hamas. Sarcasm off.
Thanks Susan. I admit I really had to force myself to watch this video. Anyone who has been paying attention knows the barbarity of what occurred in Gaza during those 22 days in 2008/2009, and worse – that it was an escalation of existing practice, not an exception. Seeing those events through the eyes of children was very painful.
I’d like to know what American parent can honestly say they would not take up arms against anyone who subjected their children to treatment like this? And to think Obama chose to sympathise with the children of Sderot as white phosphorous rained down on the children of Gaza. 320 Palestinian children killed by Israel. It’s beyond belief, so maddening that words fail me.
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Has the exhibit been shown yet? If yes, what are the responses you’re getting? And have you managed to work out a way to get back into Gaza yet?
I think you should give serious thought to MRW’s suggestion of using this artwork as part of a bus-ad campaign, either to advertise the exhibition or as part of a Palestine awareness campaign. Really it would be best used to advertise the exhibition, but then you have the issue of fundraising to pay for the ads, maybe could be overcome by partnering with local Palestine solidarity groups in the cities the exhibit is shown?
I think the impact of these on buses would be extraordinary. In a busy urban environment they’d be first seen in peripheral vision and recognised as children’s drawings – then when looked at properly the horrific subject becomes apparent. The power of these is in that moment between peripheral recognition of something pleasant (child’s drawing = happy, colourful, play) and processing/understanding that these are unlike any child’s drawings people have seen before, instead depicting death and bloodshed. We tend to forget that the majority of the population in Gaza are children. I’m quite sure most people aren’t of this, they’ve just been programmed to think Gaza/Hamas is peopled entirely with terrorists who just want to kill kill kill – so far from the truth.
Sumud, The exhibit was seen in Vermont in September as part of an arts week end. Comments? Shock, sadness, anger because children are subject to the abuse….in awe of the artistic abilities of the children…expressing such difficult sights and emotions. The above comments weren’t from Vermont but from people in PA.
MRW will follow up about using pictures on buses….thanks!
Please email me at: achildsview1@gmail.com I’d like to discuss the pictures with you. Thanks, Susan