29 Mar 2024
Sunday 17 December 2017 - 18:07
Story Code : 286926

Celebrities break taboo on Palestine

Electronic Intifada- On Monday, British sports broadcaster Gary Lineker retweeted a tweet containing a video of Israeli soldiers abusing Palestinian children.



Gary Lineker

?@GaryLineker




Sickening.https://twitter.com/benabyad/status/940249957587701761



10:23 PM - Dec 11, 2017


The former England football star added just one word of commentary for his nearly seven million followers: Sickening.

The video embedded in the tweet quickly garnered almost a million views.

Originally published by the Israeli human rights group BTselem on Sunday, thevideoshows Israeli soldiers rounding up children in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron in October.

With such a major celebrity drawing attention to Israels violence against children, Israels propaganda machine went into damage control mode.

Peter Lerner, a former Israeli military spokesperson and now a consultant,admonishedLineker that youve completely missed the point.

When kids throw stones they are a public menace. They need to be stopped, Lerner claimed, without acknowledging that heavily armed Israeli occupation forces have no business invading the cities and lives of Palestinians.

They should be stuffed into a small cage? Linekershot back, referring to a disturbing sequence in the video in which several handcuffed boys appear to be confined inside a wire box.

Lineker stood his ground as Lerner and other trolls accused him ofjustifyingterror andimpliedhe may be anti-Semitic.

In 2015, Linekeralso came under attackwhen he tweeted about Israeli abuses of Palestinian human rights.

On Tuesday,Palme dOr-winningdirectorKen Loach a long-time supporter of Palestinian rights tweeted his backing for Linekers stance.



Ken Loach

?@KenLoachSixteen




Well said@GaryLineker- every responsible person should share your response.https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/940293592291127297



7:40 PM - Dec 12, 2017


Israels damage control operatives will have their hands full, not just with Lineker but with other celebrities who feel more comfortable breaking taboos around supporting Palestinian rights.

Last week, following Donald Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital, supermodel Bella Hadidcommentedto her 16 million Instagram followers that Watching the news and seeing the pain of the Palestinian people makes me cry for the many many generations of Palestine.

Seeing the sadness of my father, cousins and Palestinian family that are feeling for our Palestinian ancestors makes this even harder to write, Hadid added.



Not content with merely posting her views online, Hadid joined a protest in London last Fridayorganizedby the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.




View image on Twitter

View image on Twitter






The IMEU@theIMEU


PHOTO: Supermodel Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) marches with protesters in solidarity with Palestine in London this evening.



2:05 AM - Dec 9, 2017


And actors Tilda Swinton and Mark Ruffalo; musicians Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno; and designer Vivienne Westwood were amongmore than 100 artistswho spoke out against Trumps decision to recognize Jerusalem.




View image on Twitter

View image on Twitter






PACBI?@PACBI


Tilda Swinton, Mark Ruffalo, Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno are among dozens of writers, musicians and actors who have condemned Donald Trumps move to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.https://buff.ly/2l1fPuH



2:22 PM - Dec 12, 2017


In aletter published byThe Guardian, the artists state that Trump seeks to achieve through a declaration what Israel has been trying to do for 50 years through force of arms: to erase Palestinians, as a political and cultural presence, from the life of their own city.

Actress Alia Shawkat, best known for playing Maeby Fnke in the TV comedyArrested Development, tweeted, Jerusalem is sacred. Trumps decision will not be overlooked. Palestine will not be forgotten.

She added the hashtag #BDS boycott, divestment and sanctions.




Alia Shawkat

?@ShawkatAlia




jersusalem is sacred. Trumps decision will not be overlooked. Palestine will not be forgotten.



3:00 AM - Dec 8, 2017


She also retweeted a call for a protest outside the White House, as well as aviral photoof Palestinian teenager Fawzi al-Juneidi blindfolded and surrounded by more than a dozen heavily armed Israeli soldiers.

Even American mainstream comedian Bette Midler took an online swipe at Trump, tweeting out a satirical cartoon in which the president is informed by an aide that The Palestinians have just recognized Dallas, Texas, as the capital of Mexico.




View image on Twitter

View image on Twitter






Bette Midler?@BetteMidler


8:08 PM - Dec 11, 2017


Midlers intervention may be an example ofa Trump effect: some journalists and public figures appear more willing to be critical on an issue when the unpopular president supports it.

Of course these are not the first celebrities to use their fame to bring attention to Palestine and many who signed theGuardianletter have long records of solidarity but theres no doubt that many others stay silent because of career concerns or to avoid attacks from Israel lobby groups.

There are signs, however, that its getting a little easier.

InThe Nationthis week, Dave Zirin revisits the two National Football League players whotook a public stance for Palestineearlier this year.

Michael Bennettand Kenny Stills made global news in February when they refused to take part in a trip to Israel organized by the Netanyahu government, after first agreeing to attend, Zirin writes.

Along with other players, they backed out after learning about the propagandistic nature of the trip and being profoundly moved by parallels between the situation for Black Americans in places like Ferguson and the Palestinian carceral existence in Gaza.

Zirin sees this as an important moment: It has long been assumed in sports not to mention in media more broadly that even recognizing the humanity of the Palestinian people, let alone criticizing the Israeli occupation, is a political third rail.

Yet both have been nominated for the NFL Man of the Year Award.

That no disastrous consequences befell the NFL players in a year when Colin Kaepernickpaid a very high pricefor his activism against racist violence by US police is notable.

People are losing their fear of standing with Palestine, and thats another worrying sign for Israel lobby leaders who lamented in asecret reportearlier this year their failure to stem the impressive growth and significant successes of the BDS movement.




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