Fantagraphics has released a series of graphic commentaries and reflections by Joe Sacco, author of "Palestine" and "Footnotes in Gaza," called "The War on Gaza." With the permission of Fantagrapahics and Joe Sacco, we are reprinting them on my Substack.
Brilliant piece of cartoon work. Thank you for posting that Chris. I so, so admire you and all the other commentators (Owen Jones, Novara Media, Peter Obourne, Matt Kennard et al.) who are keeping this issue spotlighted in the public arena. Even when, initially, I believed the lies regarding October 7 it was obviously a disgustingly disproportionate response from the Islaelis. Now, after the images and independent journalism coming out of Gaza since then, it has become clear just how absolutely broken the Israeli state has become.
I have believed in the West’s values and the MSM all of my life since I was first able to read a newspaper, that was at least 65 years ago. But no longer, the mask has slipped and the rampant hypocrisy laid bare. We are not the good guys, and here in NZ we have the worst government I have ever known trying to copy everything that has failed so miserably in the UK, including pathetically weak statements on the Palestinian cause. Keep up the good work please.
Thanks Joe and Chris. Israel has always quashed peaceful protest brutally in some respects even more violently. As The Great march of Return proves and the First Intifada before it. Rabin the Nobel prize winner's quote "Break their Bones" was taken literally as little boys had arms and legs broken by IDF thugs. I think the best metaphor describing the Oct 7 Prison breakout was from Norman Finkelstein, when speaking to Israel supporters. He basically said " the only thing I can compare Oct 7 with is seeing the police arrest a women for stabbing her husband 100 times, and the general public horrified thinking she is a brutal murderer. While he being the neighbor living next door hearing the yells, screams beatings and ambulance visits for the last 20 years. He understood why she snapped! Its time people stopped apologizing for Oct 7, as Israeli spokesman say the civilian deaths are tragic but they are only human shields and any Deaths Hamas's fault. With that logic wouldn't putting a Concert right next to a Prison Camp Wall within ear shot of the inmates only Israel's fault and the unfortunate civilians mere "Human Shields"?
I’m grateful that you are cross posting Joe’s work, Chris! Thank you. He does a great job here of powerfully depicting history and turning the table on readers who might condemn Palestinian resistance while claiming to stand in solidarity with human rights.
The older I get the more puzzled I become about us human beings. We're capable of producing the most inspiring works of art, music, literature and the most heinous crimes. We can perform the most humanitarian, self sacrificing acts. The abused can become the abuser. Shakespeare was, indeed, right when he said, "what a piece of work is man".
Indeed! Fodder for those all night discussions, debates??? in college. Those who had faith or practiced a religion were largely able to accept this as "God's" will. Not so much with non believers. I'm not revealing which camp I belonged to :-)
Chris, I woke up at 2am and heard your most moving, greatest talk on the genocide. Later, when I tried to find it, I couldn't find it anywhere. I figured you got censored, too. Can you help me find it? DM, if you can. Many, many thanks of appreciation for your tireless work. Rob
Thank you, Chris, for bringing us Joe Sacco's powerful graphics, and for the continuous work you both are doing for the people of Gaza/Palestine. This short commentary and the images completely document the brutal descent they have experienced over and over again during these months and years. The at first normal, logical thoughtful human responses and hopes of interventions by those outside who are witnessing and caring, to the blunt, frightening and heart wrenching truth and reality the Gazans/Palenstinians have been up against from the 1947 Nakba on. The Palestinians have known and had no illusions about the cruel and monstrous sub human beings their jailers are. In some ways the images and brief commentary are more powerful than words, sink deeper. We can no longer find words. Heartbreaking.
I’ve tried to express to Israel apologists what is shown in these graphics. They either hide in their cocoons of defensive ignorance, or they haul out a fresh load of whataboutery.
Gandhi’s strategy of passive resistance always had one condition: that the oppressor/occupiers had a conscience, but it’s hard to imagine a country with less of it than Israel. Their racism is so deep, so thorough. Still, the March of return was a landmark in nonviolent resistance, and I’m curious if this version of its history penetrates any deeper than just words.
I‘d like to hold it in front of Bobby Kennedy’s face till he eats his words about Palestinians being “pampered”.
Propaganda and nothing more. Chris Hedges promotes the disinformation poured out by HAMAS and its tactics of asymmetrical warfare. This cartoon illustrates one particular tactic of asymmetrical warfare.
Chris Hedges, were he honest, would have commissioned a Sacco cartoon about HAMAS or Palestinian Jihad committing a raft of suicide bombings in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Gandhi theme at the start of this cartoon would be just as appropriate. And one wonders why Israeli evolved into an "Apartheid State".
I wonder how many more dead children and innocents will it take for Chris Hedges to commission a cartoon concerning HAMAS's asymmetrical warfare tactic of employing its citizenry as unarmed combatants.
Hedges no longer engages in serious journalism. Serious journalism explores the root causes and the human needs of both sides. Rather Hedges has taken an exclusive position of Gerechtigkeit uber Alles (Justice over everything).
You can have peace or justice but you can never have both. Both sides of the extremist coin in this conflict whether they are Settlers on the West Bank or HAMAS leadership, are responsible for this continuous zero-sum-game.
Hedges offers no path to a realistic solution rather he supports a fantasy conclusion to this problem of over 75 years.
"After that I had no more suggestions for what the Palestinians ought to do."
1. Having suffered over 60% of European Jewry slaughtered, recognize that the Israelis see this as an existential conflict and act accordingly.
2. Recognize the existence of the state of Israel.
3. Stop the tactics of suicide bombing and employed the Palestinian people as unarmed combatants (the actions of HAMAS constitute a war crime).
4. Stop the meaningless attempts to portray this as European colonization and because of their genetics (lots of European genes), Jews have no right to the land. That is a sophomoric point of argument. The Israelis already have the land and are going nowhere. If anything, the politics of the Palestinian leadership have only led to more ethnic cleansing.
5. Support a two state solution.
6. Support efforts to wean both extremist sides from the position that the only solution is the complete subjugation of the opponent.
1. Arabs and Palestinian's had nothing to do with European anti Semitism or the Holocaust. Zionism and the dream of a Jewish ONLY homeland started long before the rise of Fascism and the Holocaust 2. Recognize the Existence of Palestine and Palestinian's 3. Stop the tactics of land theft ethnic cleansing, arbitrary arrest, torture, illegal "settlement" building and periodic mowing of the lawn. 4. Stop the meaningless attempt to portray Palestinian's as invaders of their ancestral land they have lived on for GENERATIONS. Admit that Arab/Muslim nations gave Jews sanctuary from European anti Semitism. STOP Legitimizing MIGHT IS RIGHT and BLAMING Palestinians for resisting their dispossession. If anything their RESISTENCE has slowed down NEVER ENDING Ethnic Cleansing! The Fascist politics of Zionism spells it out, they want a State with NO Palestinian's. Palestinian/Arabs are going NO WHERE! If pushed out of Palestine/Israel where do you think they will go? 5. There is NO SUPORT FOR A 2 STATE SOLUTION IN ISRAEL , Its no more than an INSIDE JOKE to hide the ethnic cleansing for the American public with FALSE Hasbara! 6. Palestinian's have offered Israel everything before the 67 Annexation of the West Bank, only to see 750,000 "Settlers" move into illegally occupied land! ZIONIST EXTREMISTS believe Palestinian's and Arabs are subhuman. SUBJUGATION of the "OTHER" built right in with a Mythical Gods Promise backing it all up. Ironically by Secular Zionists who are non believers using Biblical Myth as a DEED to Palestinian Land FOREVER. The "Both Sides" argument is a BALD FACED LIE! Its an excuse to give Israel immunity to accept NO BLAME! 7. Rick you are a victim of NEWSPEAK "the language to control the public and limit their ability to think freely. CRIMESTOP "Indoctrination at a young age to stop any possibility of developing dangerous thoughts" Leading to a Nation and Jewish diaspora living in a bubble of "Protective Stupidity". DOUBLE THINK "that one can have two opposing beliefs at the same time". War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery" most of all for you Rick and fellow travelers IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH!
Joe Sacco has two on the subject. That's what Chris Hedges took this from. "Palestine" and "Footnotes In Gaza". Both graphic novels. Purportedly the best description of the situation for those who don't already know. Can't imagine no one on the planet fits that category anymore. Ronald Reagan removed what then passed for history from the public school curriculum. What remains is propaganda. Most of what he removed was very biased. Ironically, the best way to teach history is through well-written fiction. Reading fiction increases empathy and we appear to have a very short supply of that. Film doesn't seem to have the same effect on the observer.
That cartoon crystallizes one of the previous rounds of major revelation to any normies with their eyes open of the uncomplicated reality of what's happening there.
Non-violent resistance is resistance not protest. In South Africa they burnt their pass cards. In India they made their own salt. And they were beaten, jailed, and killed. There is a price for resistance and if you are not willing to pay that price, if you think killing the bad guys is more effective, then you will pay a bigger price. A strike is non-violent resistance, and people are still beaten, jailed and killed.
There is one point that I have never seen mentioned. To get the Gaza barriers down the Israelis will say "but that will encourage terrorist attacks in Israel from Gaza as used to happen".
What can be the response? Have I missed something?
Brilliant piece of cartoon work. Thank you for posting that Chris. I so, so admire you and all the other commentators (Owen Jones, Novara Media, Peter Obourne, Matt Kennard et al.) who are keeping this issue spotlighted in the public arena. Even when, initially, I believed the lies regarding October 7 it was obviously a disgustingly disproportionate response from the Islaelis. Now, after the images and independent journalism coming out of Gaza since then, it has become clear just how absolutely broken the Israeli state has become.
I have believed in the West’s values and the MSM all of my life since I was first able to read a newspaper, that was at least 65 years ago. But no longer, the mask has slipped and the rampant hypocrisy laid bare. We are not the good guys, and here in NZ we have the worst government I have ever known trying to copy everything that has failed so miserably in the UK, including pathetically weak statements on the Palestinian cause. Keep up the good work please.
Thanks Joe and Chris. Israel has always quashed peaceful protest brutally in some respects even more violently. As The Great march of Return proves and the First Intifada before it. Rabin the Nobel prize winner's quote "Break their Bones" was taken literally as little boys had arms and legs broken by IDF thugs. I think the best metaphor describing the Oct 7 Prison breakout was from Norman Finkelstein, when speaking to Israel supporters. He basically said " the only thing I can compare Oct 7 with is seeing the police arrest a women for stabbing her husband 100 times, and the general public horrified thinking she is a brutal murderer. While he being the neighbor living next door hearing the yells, screams beatings and ambulance visits for the last 20 years. He understood why she snapped! Its time people stopped apologizing for Oct 7, as Israeli spokesman say the civilian deaths are tragic but they are only human shields and any Deaths Hamas's fault. With that logic wouldn't putting a Concert right next to a Prison Camp Wall within ear shot of the inmates only Israel's fault and the unfortunate civilians mere "Human Shields"?
I’m grateful that you are cross posting Joe’s work, Chris! Thank you. He does a great job here of powerfully depicting history and turning the table on readers who might condemn Palestinian resistance while claiming to stand in solidarity with human rights.
The older I get the more puzzled I become about us human beings. We're capable of producing the most inspiring works of art, music, literature and the most heinous crimes. We can perform the most humanitarian, self sacrificing acts. The abused can become the abuser. Shakespeare was, indeed, right when he said, "what a piece of work is man".
r
A thought shared by many of us.
Indeed! Fodder for those all night discussions, debates??? in college. Those who had faith or practiced a religion were largely able to accept this as "God's" will. Not so much with non believers. I'm not revealing which camp I belonged to :-)
Chris, I woke up at 2am and heard your most moving, greatest talk on the genocide. Later, when I tried to find it, I couldn't find it anywhere. I figured you got censored, too. Can you help me find it? DM, if you can. Many, many thanks of appreciation for your tireless work. Rob
Thank you, Chris, for bringing us Joe Sacco's powerful graphics, and for the continuous work you both are doing for the people of Gaza/Palestine. This short commentary and the images completely document the brutal descent they have experienced over and over again during these months and years. The at first normal, logical thoughtful human responses and hopes of interventions by those outside who are witnessing and caring, to the blunt, frightening and heart wrenching truth and reality the Gazans/Palenstinians have been up against from the 1947 Nakba on. The Palestinians have known and had no illusions about the cruel and monstrous sub human beings their jailers are. In some ways the images and brief commentary are more powerful than words, sink deeper. We can no longer find words. Heartbreaking.
I’ve tried to express to Israel apologists what is shown in these graphics. They either hide in their cocoons of defensive ignorance, or they haul out a fresh load of whataboutery.
Gandhi’s strategy of passive resistance always had one condition: that the oppressor/occupiers had a conscience, but it’s hard to imagine a country with less of it than Israel. Their racism is so deep, so thorough. Still, the March of return was a landmark in nonviolent resistance, and I’m curious if this version of its history penetrates any deeper than just words.
I‘d like to hold it in front of Bobby Kennedy’s face till he eats his words about Palestinians being “pampered”.
Propaganda and nothing more. Chris Hedges promotes the disinformation poured out by HAMAS and its tactics of asymmetrical warfare. This cartoon illustrates one particular tactic of asymmetrical warfare.
Chris Hedges, were he honest, would have commissioned a Sacco cartoon about HAMAS or Palestinian Jihad committing a raft of suicide bombings in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Gandhi theme at the start of this cartoon would be just as appropriate. And one wonders why Israeli evolved into an "Apartheid State".
I wonder how many more dead children and innocents will it take for Chris Hedges to commission a cartoon concerning HAMAS's asymmetrical warfare tactic of employing its citizenry as unarmed combatants.
Hedges no longer engages in serious journalism. Serious journalism explores the root causes and the human needs of both sides. Rather Hedges has taken an exclusive position of Gerechtigkeit uber Alles (Justice over everything).
You can have peace or justice but you can never have both. Both sides of the extremist coin in this conflict whether they are Settlers on the West Bank or HAMAS leadership, are responsible for this continuous zero-sum-game.
Hedges offers no path to a realistic solution rather he supports a fantasy conclusion to this problem of over 75 years.
"After that I had no more suggestions for what the Palestinians ought to do."
1. Having suffered over 60% of European Jewry slaughtered, recognize that the Israelis see this as an existential conflict and act accordingly.
2. Recognize the existence of the state of Israel.
3. Stop the tactics of suicide bombing and employed the Palestinian people as unarmed combatants (the actions of HAMAS constitute a war crime).
4. Stop the meaningless attempts to portray this as European colonization and because of their genetics (lots of European genes), Jews have no right to the land. That is a sophomoric point of argument. The Israelis already have the land and are going nowhere. If anything, the politics of the Palestinian leadership have only led to more ethnic cleansing.
5. Support a two state solution.
6. Support efforts to wean both extremist sides from the position that the only solution is the complete subjugation of the opponent.
1. Arabs and Palestinian's had nothing to do with European anti Semitism or the Holocaust. Zionism and the dream of a Jewish ONLY homeland started long before the rise of Fascism and the Holocaust 2. Recognize the Existence of Palestine and Palestinian's 3. Stop the tactics of land theft ethnic cleansing, arbitrary arrest, torture, illegal "settlement" building and periodic mowing of the lawn. 4. Stop the meaningless attempt to portray Palestinian's as invaders of their ancestral land they have lived on for GENERATIONS. Admit that Arab/Muslim nations gave Jews sanctuary from European anti Semitism. STOP Legitimizing MIGHT IS RIGHT and BLAMING Palestinians for resisting their dispossession. If anything their RESISTENCE has slowed down NEVER ENDING Ethnic Cleansing! The Fascist politics of Zionism spells it out, they want a State with NO Palestinian's. Palestinian/Arabs are going NO WHERE! If pushed out of Palestine/Israel where do you think they will go? 5. There is NO SUPORT FOR A 2 STATE SOLUTION IN ISRAEL , Its no more than an INSIDE JOKE to hide the ethnic cleansing for the American public with FALSE Hasbara! 6. Palestinian's have offered Israel everything before the 67 Annexation of the West Bank, only to see 750,000 "Settlers" move into illegally occupied land! ZIONIST EXTREMISTS believe Palestinian's and Arabs are subhuman. SUBJUGATION of the "OTHER" built right in with a Mythical Gods Promise backing it all up. Ironically by Secular Zionists who are non believers using Biblical Myth as a DEED to Palestinian Land FOREVER. The "Both Sides" argument is a BALD FACED LIE! Its an excuse to give Israel immunity to accept NO BLAME! 7. Rick you are a victim of NEWSPEAK "the language to control the public and limit their ability to think freely. CRIMESTOP "Indoctrination at a young age to stop any possibility of developing dangerous thoughts" Leading to a Nation and Jewish diaspora living in a bubble of "Protective Stupidity". DOUBLE THINK "that one can have two opposing beliefs at the same time". War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery" most of all for you Rick and fellow travelers IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH!
I hope the artists puts these together in the form of a graphic novel. Whatever it takes to get generations to read history, so as not repeat it.
Joe Sacco has two on the subject. That's what Chris Hedges took this from. "Palestine" and "Footnotes In Gaza". Both graphic novels. Purportedly the best description of the situation for those who don't already know. Can't imagine no one on the planet fits that category anymore. Ronald Reagan removed what then passed for history from the public school curriculum. What remains is propaganda. Most of what he removed was very biased. Ironically, the best way to teach history is through well-written fiction. Reading fiction increases empathy and we appear to have a very short supply of that. Film doesn't seem to have the same effect on the observer.
That cartoon crystallizes one of the previous rounds of major revelation to any normies with their eyes open of the uncomplicated reality of what's happening there.
Non-violent resistance is resistance not protest. In South Africa they burnt their pass cards. In India they made their own salt. And they were beaten, jailed, and killed. There is a price for resistance and if you are not willing to pay that price, if you think killing the bad guys is more effective, then you will pay a bigger price. A strike is non-violent resistance, and people are still beaten, jailed and killed.
There is one point that I have never seen mentioned. To get the Gaza barriers down the Israelis will say "but that will encourage terrorist attacks in Israel from Gaza as used to happen".
What can be the response? Have I missed something?