When I was in Palestine in February I saw several pro-Israel graffiti works made by the group Artists4Israel– at a checkpoint in the West Bank and on barricaded Shuhada Street in Hebron.
You can see the Shuhada Street graffiti above. The murals include military shield-like images. (The last frames of film show the Tomb of the Patriarchs in the distance, left)
And in the video below, a group of us is passing a major checkpoint in the West Bank when I notice a giant graffiti: UTAH ETHER. You can barely make it out in my video.
My guide says that Artists4Israel is an American group that came over at the behest of the Jewish National Fund to cover up racist graffiti left by Jews, like Death to the Arabs. Sort of a different mission from combating “cultural terrorism,” as the group’s website proclaims.
The group got into the news two years back when they did graffiti to support the illegal settlement, Ariel.
Artists 4 Israel’s mission statement does not contain an explicit description of the covering-up-racism activity, but it seems to hint at it. I emailed the group but have yet to receive an answer. From the mission statement:
Artists 4 Israel is a community of creative individuals working together in an ongoing, collaborative project expressing Israel’s right to exist in peace and security….
4. Counter misconceptions that the arts community does not stand behind Israel in its efforts to live in peace and security, defending against terrorism. 5. Utilize the arts to counter misconceptions about Israel in the media and popular culture.
Too funny. Years ago, going to places like Hebron to paint over racist graffiti was something left wingers did.
The wall and the towers and the guns – not even Damien Hirst could turn that into something goys with money would buy. It sucks. Israel sucks.
Then there’s pinkwashing. Israeli city bans gay pride parade, will hold ‘modest’ parking lot event instead: Ra’anana parade cancelled due to pressure from resident groups vehemently opposed to holding a parade in the city.