ANOTHER DIMENSION OF THE GAZA ATTACKS: CANCEL CULTURE

Sat 02 December 2023:

The Gaza Strip, which has recently witnessed a temporary ceasefire, was subjected to Israeli attacks for more than 50 days.

Once again, women and children were the primary victims of these attacks. Shockingly, half of those who lost their lives were children and women. The intense tragedy stemmed from Tel Aviv’s indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas. Attempts were made on social media platforms to restrict and block content related to Palestine during Israel’s heavy bombardment of Gaza. Cultural cancellations followed these attempts on social media platforms. Subsequently, in Europe and the US, censorship increased in public spaces and universities regarding any trace related to the Palestine issue. This censorship extended to harassing, and sometimes even imprisoning or punishing, anyone displaying solidarity with Palestinians by carrying Palestine’s map, flag, or images of the killed children.

The “cancel culture” observed in Europe and the US isn’t new in terms of viewing everything related to a nation or people as enemies. During the Ukraine-Russia War, banning the reading of Russian authors’ books in Europe and the US was just one of many examples of this culture. The rationale for this cancel culture was Russia’s attacks on Ukraine and targeting civilians. The purpose of the cancel culture initiated against Palestine, however, is to criticize Israel, which killed a significantly larger number of civilians compared to the civilian losses in Ukraine. Hence, while one cancel culture emerges against the targeting of civilians, the other arises in response to the outrage over civilians being targeted.

In Paris, police used tear gas to intervene in a march supporting Palestine. This double standard’s reasons will likely be debated for many years to come. Now, let’s closely examine examples of the “cancel culture” in the West. After the start of the Israel-Palestine conflict, demonstrators in European countries wanting to show solidarity with Palestine faced restrictions, bans, police interventions, and arrests. While there were no restrictions or bans on pro-Israel demonstrations in European countries, support demonstrations for Palestine were conducted under the shadow of warnings that those deviating from the designated routes would be arrested, intense police surveillance, and even harsh police interventions involving tear gas.

In the UK, there were discussions about banning the Palestinian flag. The former Home Secretary of the UK, Suella Bravermann, in a letter to police chiefs, mentioned that waving the Palestinian flag or chanting freedom slogans for Palestine might not be legal if done with the intention of “glorifying terrorist acts.”

France took the lead. During the initial days of the Israel-Palestine conflict, Israel-supportive demonstrations were permitted in Paris and Strasbourg, while solidarity demonstrations with Palestine were consecutively banned by local authorities in Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon, and Marseille citing the risk of disturbing public order. Palestinian activist Meryem Ebu Dakka, who came to give conferences in the country, was arrested and later deported.

In Lyon, France, during a conference related to Palestine, a far-right group of 40 to 60 masked individuals carrying sticks and fireworks attempted to raid the venue. Participants tried to block the group by barricading the doors with chairs and tables. The far-right group threw fireworks at the entrance of the conference area.

Germany, among the countries shielding Israel’s attacks on Gaza, made a controversial decision. The German Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, announced the banning of activities by the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network in the country.

There are allegations that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, applied “covert censorship” regarding Gaza events. The closure of high-profile accounts reporting on Gaza events further strengthened these allegations. It’s also claimed that posts related to Palestine and Gaza faced significant restrictions on Facebook and Instagram.

Moving from The Guardian to Hollywood, the renowned British media outlet The Guardian fired cartoonist Steve Bell for a caricature criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of being “anti-Semitic.” Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon faced backlash in Hollywood after expressing support for Palestine against Israel’s aggression. Following her speech at a pro-Palestine march in New York, the famous talent agency “United Talent Agency” (UTA) parted ways with the 77-year-old star. Mexican actress Melissa Barrera was allegedly removed from a film’s cast due to her supportive posts for Palestine, accusing Western media of being “one-sided.”

The cancel culture in the US extended beyond these instances. American model Gigi Hadid, who supports Palestine – her father’s homeland – through her messages, along with her sister Bella and parents, received death threats. Gigi Hadid expressed, “I have hopes and dreams for Palestinians, but none of them include harming a single Jew.”

The situation indicates a pervasive trend of silencing and penalizing individuals or entities that express solidarity or criticism concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict, raising concerns about freedom of expression and the selective nature of these actions across various Western countries.

Agencies and A News

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