THE WEST BANK BARRIER AS A CANVAS FOR POLITICAL EXPRESSION: THE DIALECTIC BETWEEN LOCAL PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE AND INTERNATIONAL GRAFFITI TOURISM

Abstract

Arguably the most notorious symbol of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the West Bank Barrier. The barrier and its negative impact on Palestinian life have been protested by Palestinians, Israeli activists, and international human rights advocates, but it is the politically charged graffiti found on its concrete wall segments that attracts the most international media attention today. Palestinians using graffiti as political expression have in recent years been joined by increasing numbers of international artists and tourists, who come to contribute their own graffiti on the wall. While graffiti tourism and graffiti by world-renowned international street artists have benefitted the Palestinian economy, it simultaneously fuels conflict consumerism and overshadows Palestinian artwork, used as resistance against Israeli occupation. Many Palestinians are resentful of international groups using their experiences as subject matter and Palestinian artists often must sacrifice artistic freedom to the demands of international sponsors. Though most international graffiti attempts to promote solidarity, the Palestinian narrative is often distorted, leading Palestinian artists to create counter graffiti or deface toxic graffiti to combat harmful stereotypes and accurately represent their values and stories. This project examines Palestinian responses to international graffiti-making through ethnographic study as well as a systematic literature review. Interviews and documentation highlighting international artist, tourist, and Israeli perspectives are included. Additionally, this paper uses the theoretical frameworks of conflict transformation and poiesis from the lens of the field of expressive arts to make the case that graffiti is a powerful nonviolent method for communities in conflict zones to raise awareness, assert and control accurate narratives, shift perspectives of outside actors, and build solidarity. Potential additional components to poiesis as a framework are offered, in which the intent, goals, and tangible outcomes of community creative resistance and social change are outlined. This information could be helpful in learning the motivations behind graffiti-making, perceived impact and effectiveness, and future steps towards using graffiti as a tool to protest injustice and build international solidarity without the graffiti losing its meaning or demeaning Palestinian locals, for whom the graffitied wall is part of their everyday lives.