See some banned Palestinian children's art

by Charlie Smith on Sep 12, 2011 at 10:00 am
Images like this were too controversial for an Oakland gallery.

Below, you'll see some of the images that were part of an exhibit of art by Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip.

The images were supposed to be shown at the Museum of Children's Art in Oakland, but the show, entitled A Child's View from Gaza, was cancelled on September 8.

The Berkeley-based Middle East Children’s Alliance stated in a news release that "there was a concerted effort by pro-Israel organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area to pressure the museum to reverse its decision to display Palestinian children’s art."

The group's executive director, Barbara Lubin, described the move as censorship. “We understand all too well the enormous pressure that the museum came under. But who wins? The museum doesn’t win. MECA doesn’t win. The people of the Bay Area don’t win. Our basic constitutional freedom of speech loses. The children in Gaza lose."

The free exhibit was going to open on September 24. About 1.6 million people live in the Gaza Strip, which is a 41-kilometre stretch of land between Israel and Egypt. It's ruled by Hamas.

Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but continues to control the airspace and sea access. In 2008, Israel attacked Gaza in response to rockets being fired into southern Israel. Israel also maintains a blockade, which was declared "legal" by a recent United Nations commission.

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Comments (20) Add New Comment
Elven Prince
Sep 12, 2011 at 11:22 am
Damn children and their self-expression.
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Sheep
Sep 12, 2011 at 1:03 pm
Because Children express directly their unfiltered reflection of the world as they see it.

This true reflection is hard to take for those engaged in War (both sides Palestinian + Israeli).

The very strong pro-Israel at any cost lobby in the West can even squash a kids exhibition is disturbing in it's power.

Have we become large Proxy states of Israel? Seems like it at times like these.

I have no interest in the generational irrational Religious based genocide by BOTH Arabs + Israeli's.

There must bean enforced peace or else WWIII is coming with these two crazy states / people who will stick to their far out ideology based on some God where any Death and/or Killing can be justified.
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David Gervais
Sep 12, 2011 at 8:17 pm
A note to curators everywhere: When so many people are against the contents of an exhibit, you are doing something right.
Shame on this gallery for caving in.
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David Gervais
Sep 12, 2011 at 8:30 pm
The museum's home page is at: http://mocha.org Their letter about the issue is on the right hand side.
http://mocha.org/forms/MOCHA%20Open%20Letter.pdf
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cleanandsober
Sep 12, 2011 at 10:50 pm
Having read the letter, I still feel that they backed down from their original mission of expression through art and "fostering understanding". It is best to start early and the "violent" images expressed are what children in Gaza see every day, there is nothing wrong in exposing other children to that art - they will hopefully begin to ask questions. Of course what adult can answer those questions? Interesting that there are never any concerns regarding Holocost exhibits, there is something that can damage an adult.
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JC
Sep 13, 2011 at 1:35 am
So is everyone buying the story that these pictures are just the natural outflow of young minds or am I alone in thinking these pictures could easily be a cheap publicity stunt organised / prompted / scripted by the kids parents who have a political axe to grind?
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Janice
Sep 13, 2011 at 8:05 pm
There was no objection from the Jewish Community Relations Council when MOCHA showed wartime pictures drawn by Iraqi children. But when it comes to the children of Gaza who have been traumatized by Israeli bombs, missiles, white phosphorus and Israeli tanks and soldiers thse photos must be censored. No one should see the horrors that Israel has wreaked on the occupied people of Gaza and the West Bank. Israel must be held bllameless for everything.

The delicious irony is that the news of the JCRC and its minions and its efforts to censor the children's art is spreading around the world . The world knows to what depths the JCRC and its minions will stoop when there is any criticiam of their favorite country, Israel. The world is not happy.
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Urban Canadian
Sep 14, 2011 at 3:17 pm
re: Have we become large Proxy states of Israel?
Or perhaps Israel is a proxy state of America. This smacks of Pali propeganda (I think we all can see that), however, their children should have a right to express the hell inflicted upon them. It never fails to surprise me that Washington, and therefore America greater, is 100% behind Israel, regardless of their horrific behavior.
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peacemaker36
Sep 18, 2011 at 9:45 am
All is not as it seems:

http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2011/09/fake-child-artists-of-gaza.html

" FresnoZionism asked an art professor for an opinion on these pieces. Here's what she said:
The paintings (color drawings) are highly sophisticated especially in relationship to detail. Did you see the barbed wire? Also, there is a carefully drawn Star of David in each work. The authenticity of the painting is remarkable for a child’s hand. The drawing of the planes and helicopters, the man in the tower, the dynamic brushstrokes that are well conceived and controlled all seem to project a more mature approach to art. Could these “children” be in their late teens, college age, or young adults [MECA says they were 9 to 11 years old]? According to the the quote, “much of the artwork was produced by children.” I wonder how “much”? Also, it is possible that the “children” were directed by an adult who supervised and perhaps completed the initial drawing? "
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sick of nonsense
Sep 18, 2011 at 10:14 am
The Pal machine is excellent at the propaganda war. Israel is not occupying Gaza. It left years ago, yet Hamas which controls Gaza has led a war with daily bombardments of rockets terrorizing and killing Israeli children. Where is their art work? This "art" is a kin to the communist propaganda of children's art from the 60's. Isn't it time you let the facts get in the way of your agenda? En your article states that eh blockade was declared "legal." The museum was correct in refusing to participate in disseminating propaganda in the guise of art.
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David Grant
Sep 20, 2011 at 9:27 am
How about an exhibit of Gaza school children's text books promoting hatred of the Israeli's ,denial of the holocaust and the ever popular Protoclos of the Elders of Zion? The Palestinians can count on the infantile knee jerk response of the lefty crowd in North America. The situation there is incredibly nuanced, complex and heartbreaking yet the lefty's in their typical style quickly decide who is the good guy, who is the bad guy and act accordingly. The semites of the region that is the jews and the arabs have far more in common then their critics realize.
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Janet
Sep 24, 2011 at 1:59 pm
The horror that these poor children must live with every day as they struggle with the terror of Isreali forces; is nothing compared to the violence of censorship in an alledged democracy. This is THE WORLD through a certain set of childrens eyes - let us all stand together and acknoweldge what they see - then lets talk about TRUE JUSTICE. Free Palestine NOW from Isreali oppression!
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Janet
Sep 24, 2011 at 2:36 pm
The horror and aparthied that these poor chilren are required to live with as it is inflicted upon them daily by the Isreali army and people seems to be nothing compared to the very real horror of cencorship thrust upon them from our alledged democracy. In a democracy freedom of expression should be extended to all - otherwise there is no democracy. Free Palestine from the tyranny of US/Isreali hatred! How many 60 year old war stories, movies, and museums must we have to wade through before todays children can be heard? There are 2 very real sides to this mideast story and these poor children are just a small but very real voice on one side. They are entitled to be heard!
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Davol
Oct 1, 2011 at 10:00 am
Looks like children coming to terms with their lives and world around them being stamped out. Powerful stuff that I dare Americans and Zionist Jews to gaze at. Look into this mirror Israel. This is why I have no problem calling your country a bunch of Fucken not-sees.
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Frank
Oct 1, 2011 at 12:24 pm
I´m all with the palestinians but i think someone above is right about being propaganda , it doesn´t look that childish , i ´m wondering who did it , israelis are also great at war propaganda same as the Us , they´ve done it for ages and still do
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anon
Oct 2, 2011 at 2:34 pm
jack chivo will no doubt get uppity about this. i look forward to his pro Zionist article defending the censorship of this.

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Jack Chivo
Oct 2, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Let me surprize you!!

I have no problem with showing these drawings, but the story is not so simple.

Allegedely, these drawings were made by Gaza children in December 2008, and only "discovered by chance" by a "human rights activist" visiting Gaza a few months

Why now, and how come there was no mention of them in three years???
Don't you think that Hamas would have used them earlier, if available??

Moreover, art experts have concluded that some of the details are highly suspicious and appear to have been drawn by adults, or youngsters being given advice what to draw, and the pieces look too new for drawing kept somewhere for three years!

If these are genuine, I would support the show,
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GOT
Oct 3, 2011 at 1:20 pm
I believe other people in another time indulged in similar censorship. It was about 'Entartete Kunst'. Go ahead, google it. As always, a picture's worth a thousand words...
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Tear Down Gaza Wall
Oct 12, 2011 at 3:42 am
It's very interesting that some people can't even bear paintings in favour of Palestinian cause, done by Palestinian kids. This is pure totalitarianism. This is pathetic trying to devalue some childish paintings who are done out of their everyday life.
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www.shiva.kushwaha173@gmail.com
Oct 29, 2011 at 8:11 am
they draw what they see ... may be true ,,, you know what is true
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