{"id":14231,"date":"2011-08-20T12:29:59","date_gmt":"2011-08-20T19:29:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/?p=14231"},"modified":"2011-08-21T12:18:26","modified_gmt":"2011-08-21T19:18:26","slug":"baha-kichka-and-plantu-at-animix-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/?p=14231","title":{"rendered":"Baha, Kichka and Plantu at Animix 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Kichka, Plantu and Baha discuss a cartoon by Baha on the role of the internet in the Arab Spring\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cFrench Connection\u201d a panel discussion between French cartoonist Plantu<\/a>, Israeli cartoonist Michel Kichka<\/a> and Palestinian cartoonist Baha Boukhari<\/a> took place at the Animix 2011<\/a> festival at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque on August 18, 2011, at the end of a day that had been marked by news broadcasts of the terror attacks in southern Israel. Introducing the panel, festival artistic director Nissim (Nusko) Hezkiyahu noted that is the first time that the Animix festival is hosting a cartoonist from Ramallah.<\/p>\n

Political cartoonists are uniquely suited to create bridges in situations of conflict, positioned as they are between hard news and humor, text and visual expression; seeing a situation from more than one perspective is a defining aspect of their work. Politics tempered by empathy and a sense of the ridiculous, humor is their weapon and defense, usually allowing the cartoonist a greater measure of freedom within the newspaper. Baha, Kichka and Plantu are all members of the organization Cartooning for Peace<\/a>, and have worked together in that context. Their long standing acquaintance with one another contributed to a warm and informal atmosphere, despite the inevitable barriers of language and politics. The three cartoonists sat together on the low stage with a laptop, showing their cartoons on the big screen while conversing about the images and related political issues.<\/p>\n

As the local representative, Kichka hosted the event, and began by asking Baha to talk about his career path, which has taken him to Syria, Kuwait, and Tunisia before arriving at his current position as cartoonist for Al-Ayyam in Ramallah. Baha said that he began as an amateur in Syria and got his first big break in Kuwait. He made a cartoon for a newspaper there and as a result the newspaper was shut down. \u201cAl Rai Al A\u2019am heard about the crazy cartoonist,\u201d said Baha and he then worked at Al Rai Al A\u2019am for over twenty years. Kichka commented, \u201cYou told me that the newspaper closed down 17 times because of your cartoons,\u201d and Baha shared several of those stories with the audience.<\/p>\n

The conversation often focused on the issue of freedom of speech, its limits and interpretations in different countries. Referring to Baha\u2019s work in Tunisia, Plantu said, \u201cIn Tunisia one is not allowed to draw against Ben Ali [Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, President of the Tunisian Republic 1987 \u2013 January, 2011].\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot Ben Ali and not another,\u201d said Baha. He said that on arriving in Tunisia he was told at the newspaper that they want to take advantage of his experience to improve the look and layout. He worked with them on layout and was kept so busy that he eventually complained \u201cI haven\u2019t time to draw cartoons.\u201d At that point, the underlying truth became apparent, and Baha told the audience, \u201cThey can\u2019t mention very clearly [that one is] not allowed to draw cartoons in Tunisia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baha said that he had experienced different forms of censorship in the past, in the form of creative editing. Talking about his five year sojourn at Al-Quds, Baha said \u201cI used to draw with aquarel. When they scanned [the drawing] they feel free to change the caption. I finally quit.\u201d Referring to his current affiliation with Al-Ayyam in Ramallah, Baha said, \u201cTalking about margin of freedom, freedom of speech. They usually publish my cartoon as it is. They rarely remove the caption, but don\u2019t put another thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of the cartoons related to the \u201cArab Spring\u201d and its implications:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Kichka, Plantu and Baha looking at a cartoon by Kichka\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kichka described a cartoon showing demonstrators as saying, \u201cWe have shown how we can destroy tyranny\u2026how can you build democracy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Kichka, Plantu and Baha discuss a cartoon by Plantu\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every country and culture has its own taboos and part of the cartoonist\u2019s task is to play with those limits to provoke thought and discussion. Looking at his cartoon of a French person watching news of the Arab Spring on television, feeling sympathy for the revolutionaries until they seek refuge on his turf, Plantu said, \u201cIt is not easy to print this cartoon in my newspaper. We have to prepare in Europe for the future and they don\u2019t want to see this aspect. I am skeptical about the future of democracy in Arab nations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Kichka, Plantu and Baha discuss a cartoon by Baha\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Baha\u2019s cartoon showing Arab leaders falling down a wall was shown, Plantu commented, \u201cI think about you. In Ramallah, Palestine, your leader [looking at this cartoon] thinks: maybe he is thinking about us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baha replied, \u201cWe are not a state yet. Where I work they understand the margin of freedom of speech. They give the journalists the right to criticize anything from their neighbors, but not locally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Kichka, Plantu and Baha discuss a cartoon by Kichka\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Speaking of cultural differences and taboos, Kichka commented on his cartoon depicting the internet\u2019s role in revolution, \u201cIn America you cannot even make a cartoon with f\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Referring to a cartoon in which he based the graphics on engravings in the style of the French Revolution era, Kichka commented, \u201cIn all revolutions there is an after revolution where the revolutionaries become also terrorists.\u201d To which Plantu responded, \u201cIt is good for the debate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Cartoon by Plantu with Handala, Naji al-Ali's signature figure, in the lower left corner\/Photo: Ayelet Dekel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite the overall friendly atmosphere, there were some tense moments. One occurred when Kichka pointed out Plantu\u2019s homage to cartoonist Naji al-Ali [a Palestinian cartoonists shot and killed in London on July 22, 1987], including the signature figure of Handala in the corner of a cartoon. The conversation inevitably veered to the difficulty of determining the responsibility for al-Ali\u2019s killing. Why would anyone have an interest in assassinating a cartoonist – there are different versions of the story on the internet and elsewhere, some blame Arafat and some blame the Israeli Mossad. Kichka addressed the impossibility of knowing, saying \u201cThere is no truth.\u201d Baha, a friend of al-Ali\u2019s from their days in Kuwait, countered with the question, \u201cWhy was Ghassan Khanafani killed [by a car bomb in Beirut, 1972], if you can answer that question?\u201d Kichka replied, \u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later, Baha described a cartoon showing a blue Star of David surrounded by flowering jasmine as the effect of the Arab Spring on Israel, prompting a member of the audience to ask, \u201cThe idea is that yasmin [jasmine in Hebrew] will destroy the shield of David? Plantu joined the conversation, pointing out that the Star of David in the cartoon is not destroyed, but does have some cracks. Plantu said, \u201cIt is good for debate. You can have 10 or 20 answers with a cartoon. Maybe one day all the revolutions will make trouble for Israel.\u201d Suggesting that there are many possible underlying forces instigating the current revolutions and the uncertainty of the outcome, he said, \u201cWhat is the real reason for all manifestation? They can win the war for fundamentalism\u2026that is not a smiling future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baha said, \u201cAs a Palestinian we are all looking for September. We are demanding our right to be free as a State. It\u2019s time to implement [Oslo agreements]. We are not asking something impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kichka responded, \u201cIt is not so simple. Today there were five terrorist attacks on Israel made by Hamas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baha said, \u201cI condemn them, nobody supports them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The discussion closed with comments on the Israeli \u201cRothschild Revolution.\u201d Plantu said it is \u201csympathique, because it is without violence,\u201d adding that it is good for those in Europe with anti-Semitic leanings to \u201cunderstand everyone is not full of money.\u201d In terms of the way Israel appears to the world, Plantu also said that the current three-way discussion presents a different aspect of Israel, saying, that people in France \u201ccannot imagine it is so easy to have this debate with a friend from Palestine and a friend from Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not so easy to bring Baha here,\u201d Kichka replied, and said that he had help from the Peres Center for Peace in receiving the required permissions. Kichka and Baha then discussed a cartoon that the latter had drawn in relation to the \u201cRothschild Revolution.\u201d Unfortunately, the cartoon was not available for view because Baha had hesitated to bring it with him. Kichka said, \u201cNext time, don\u2019t be afraid to bring your cartoons.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cFrench Connection\u201d a panel discussion between French cartoonist Plantu, Israeli cartoonist Michel Kichka and Palestinian cartoonist Baha Boukhari took place at the Animix 2011 festival at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque on August 18, 2011, at the end of a day that had been marked by news broadcasts of the terror attacks in southern Israel. Introducing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-art"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14231\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.midnighteast.com\/mag\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}