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Palestinian artist and award-winning political cartoonist, Mohammad Sabaaneh, during the 'Art & Resistance in Palestine' event hosted by Trinity BDS Campaign and Trinity College Students' Union. On Friday, March 29, 2019, in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto)
Promising “kick-ass superheroes, future worlds, fantastical creatures and zombies”, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF), should begin next weekend in Cumbria. Yet a row about a Palestinian artist accused of antisemitism threatens to derail the prestigious graphic art event.
The festival, founded in 2013, will also be showcasing Mohammad Sabaaneh, whose work is alleged to contain antisemitic tropes. UnHerd has learned that one former LICAF board member, Peter Kessler, resigned from his position in July over Sabaaneh’s involvement, as well as over what he considered to be the board’s decision not to challenge the artist’s previous work.
Earlier this year, LICAF invited Sabaaneh to co-curate an exhibition on Palestinian comic-book art, alongside the writer and comic book expert George Khoury. But during online discussions with festival director Julie Tait in June, Kessler expressed concern about Sabaaneh. Citing images in which the Palestinian artist depicted Israel as an octopus in control of the global financial system, and as a locust with an oversized nose, as well as one showing a Jewish concentration camp internee in 1945 transforming into an Israeli settler, he claimed that “in putting [Sabaaneh’s] work on display, and in allowing him to speak, I’m concerned that we are giving a platform for a racist”.
Kessler added that the images in question were designed “to stir up racial hatred in the viewers” and recommended seeking advice from the British Council, which is both co-organising and contributing £15,000 towards the event. In an email response at the start of July, Tait denied that Sabaaneh was a racist and argued that “his ‘job’ is to question, to challenge […] a wide range of ‘targets’ to convey a message”. Tait added that the Palestinian artist is “a brave man, a humane man and his only ‘crime’ is his relentless pursuit of what he sees as justice for Palestinian people”. In the same message, she stressed LICAF’s “duty to uphold freedom of speech”.
Later that month, on 11 July, six members of the LICAF board, including Tait and Kessler, convened to discuss the festival’s response to Sabaaneh’s appearance. In a presentation delivered during the meeting, Kessler argued that “Sabaaneh should attend LICAF and speak at his session, but with the conditions that he is questioned about his antisemitic material and that he doesn’t use the festival as an opportunity to attack what he sees as Israeli propaganda”. Kessler added that “there is severe danger to LICAF’s reputation both in cancelling [Sabaaneh] and in allowing him to continue as planned”.
After this proposal was rejected, Kessler resigned from the LICAF board and wrote to the British Council explaining what had happened, attaching some of Sabaaneh’s more contentious cartoons. He stated that he felt inviting the artist “without addressing this more controversial aspect of his work would be tantamount to ignoring hate speech”. The next day, Paul Thompson, chair of the British Council, replied, agreeing that the images — which do not feature in the LICAF exhibition — contain “some extremely distasteful tropes”.
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SubscribeIt goes without saying those who like Sabaaneh’s work should be free to display it and to view it. My objection is the Lakes International Comic Art Festival guzzles millions in public money and its organisers are quick to decide not to display other cartoonists because of allegations of “right wing”, x-phobic, and any number of -isms. Why does Sabaaneh get a free pass?
Back to the article…
Is it “alleged” Sabaaneh depicted Israel as an octopus in control of the global financial system, and as a locust with an oversized nose?
Or is it “alleged” depictions of Israel as an octopus in control of the global financial system, and as a locust with an oversized nose are anti-semitic? He’s literally inspired by National Socialist propaganda.
Or is it “alleged” simply because it is safer to do so given behind Sabaaneh stand a million “mainly peaceful” protestors? I wouldn’t much fancy being a public figure risking any sort of “misunderstanding” by them.
But let’s forget the anti-semitism thing. Let’s focus on his “art”. When a Palestinian terrorist rammed a car into a 6 year old and murdered him, what did Sabaaneh do? Yeah, he drew a cartoon depicting a Palestinian boot shaking the foundations of Israel. Because murdering kids is legitimate warfare. That’s the art and the artist the Lakes International Comic Art Festival want to showcase using public money. So “brave” of them.
This story is not really about a difference of opinion over whether an artist is or isn’t antisemitic. It is about how LICAF responded when alerted to the artist’s unquestionably antisemitic images.
I believe passionately in freedom of speech. I at no stage have called for Mohammad Sabaaneh to be cancelled. I want to hear him speak, I want to see his work. I have read his books, and I think they are powerful, moving testimonies of human suffering.
But part of freedom of speech is challenging racism when it raises its head. And Sabaaneh, in addition to all his other work, has created many racist images. Jews nailing Christ to the cross, Jews as octopuses holding money and legal power, Jews exercising secret control over the world, Jews as locusts consuming Jerusalem, Jews running out of Auschwitz with flame-throwers to attack Gaza. In addition, he has regularly tweeted messages of delight over the killing of Jewish people. It is not up to me to say whether he himself is a racist. But he has definitely published these things.
Faced with such offensive images, many might seek to cancel the artist who made them. Certainly, if LICAF were proposing to welcome a guest who had drawn similarly racist pictures of black people, their invitation would be seriously reconsidered. But I did not try and cancel Sabaaneh. All I had the temerity to do was request that, as part of his interview, he be asked one question that addressed his more controversial work. I further suggested that the question should be agreed with Sabaaneh beforehand so that he does not feel in any way wrongfooted. Far from closing down free speech, this solution opens it up. It shows the world that the way to deal with deep societal problems like this is to discuss them in a respectful, open, civilised manner. In short, it’s the right thing to do.
Julie Tait’s response was:
• to deny that the images are antisemitic. She claimed that the Jewish figures in them are not wearing kippot and therefore can’t be seen as Jewish. (Her argument, as well as being facetious, is also plainly untrue. The Jewish characters do wear kippot. Even the octopus does, in the form of the surface of the water.) She also claimed that the grotesque facial features used by Sabaaneh to depict Jews are ‘normal middle-eastern features’ – although he does not draw Palestinians in the same way.
• to imply that only Jews would be concerned about Sabaaneh’s work. Her precise words, when I said there might be an outcry, were: ‘Well, I think we know which section of society that outcry would come from’. On pressing, she said she meant the Jews.
• to say that she had told her colleagues at the British Council, as well as other well-known artists in the comics industry, about my proposed single question, and that they had described it as ‘disgusting and outrageous’.
• to claim to the LICAF board (wrongly, as I later discovered from the Chief Executive of the British Council) that the British Council had threatened to withdraw its funding if Mohammad Sabaaneh were asked about his antisemitic images.
• to prevent me from chairing the board meeting I called to discuss this issue, on the basis that I had a ‘conflict of interest’ (ie I’m Jewish).
To be rejected by your friends is not pleasant. To find that they are rejecting you because you are Jewish is even worse. And in this case there is no doubt that my opinions and insights – the opinions and insights from the only Jewish member of the Board – were not just brushed aside but actively shut down and ignored. The years of support, advice and creative input I have given to LICAF were forgotten in an instant, in the interest of pursuing a one-sided political agenda.
It didn’t really surprise me to discover that Mohammad Sabaaneh occasionally lapses into antisemitism. He has suffered at Israel’s hands, and he is an outspoken supporter of Hamas, whose charter calls for genocide of the Jews. What deeply shocked me, and still does, was the speed and enthusiasm with which my former friends and colleagues leapt to deny the obvious antisemitic sentiments in Sabaaneh’s cartoons, and to gag the Jew who pointed them out. That is real racial prejudice. They should know better.
To be clear: I accept that there are widely held views on many issues, including the Israel Palestine conflict. Many people disagree on many things. But there are certain absolutes. And one of them is racism. When you see racism, it is your responsibility – especially as a publicly funded organisation that inspires others – to call it out, to challenge it, and to expose it for what it is. It is not right to conceal it, forgive it, or deny its existence. But this is what LICAF is now doing. And when I pointed out the racism, I was derided, denied, threatened, isolated and ultimately put in the position of having to stand down.
Excellent, informative comment. Thank you.
To find that they are rejecting you because you are Jewish is even worse.
Not to add to your distress, but they have always rejected your being Jewish. This cartoonist simply provided the platform for them to do it openly.
On the assumption that you are Peter Kessler, I think that’s a fascinating contribution, thank you.
May I ask what was the one question that you felt ought to have been put to Sabaaneh because I don’t think that either your comment or the article quotes it.
George, we did not even get as far as formulating the question. But the idea would have been to explore with Mohammad where the boundary between legitimate criticism and outright hate speech lies. Is it different depending on different people’s experiences and situations? I would want to leave him in no doubt that those images are offensive, but at the same time hear what he had to say about them with as open a mind as possible.
Let me be clear. Whilst there’s an all-too-familiar ring about this spat which might make those who’re not usually interested or engaged in such things roll their eyes – this has got nothing to do with art.
It has everything to do with those who seek to use arts funding and the arts infrastructure (festivals, quangos) as a means of advocacy for a particular political stance or worldview. That there’s such a thing as “Palestinian comic art” says it all really. It doesn’t get much.more ‘niche’ or ‘right on’ than that. It’s a caricature- in this case literally – of art. It is mere didacticism, masquerading under an arts banner.
So, you may ask, what is art? Why would i define the puerility described in this article as not ‘qualifying’ as art? Isn’t art whatever those involved say it is? My criterion involves a searching within, for our humanity. It’s not just about technique or skill, but the ability to dig below the surface and produce work which resonates with all our lives; to allow a space for us to reflect and see both ourselves and the world more clearly; and therefore, hopefully, to lead more fulfilling and meaningful lives – and, to have a deeper understanding of our humanity.
These cartoons are mere propaganda. If there are people within the Palestinian community who don’t wish to see the eradication of Jews but wish to live in peace, they would be seeking to do exactly that. The route forward for those people will not be advanced or even informed through racist cartoons, whose message is hardly new, and more inciteful than insightful.
I can’t remember the exact quote, but it’s something like “skill without imagination is art and craft without use is art.”
I’m probably getting old, but I find most modern art to have an absence of skill and imagination. Apparently, we can replace both with provocation. However, I’d argue that provocation with no conciliation is shit-stirring.
I’d agree to a certain extent, but i’m far from being a ‘traditionalist’ regarding art. (Disclaimer – i have skin in the game.) Skill can only take an artist so far; the one’s who’ll still be celebrated a century or more hence have something they’ve been able to convey which has that rare quality: universality. This would be the diametric opposite of what the cartoonist in this article produces.
I got the quote wrong, it’s “skill without imagination is craft.” Although I think I’m conflating two separate quotes.
I agree that there’s is something intangible in the moment but recognisable in the past when viewing art. A certain fuzzy logic.
Lovely description of the power of art. If only that were the main thrust of the art business world.
These cartoons are quite clearly racist. There’s no subtlety in them at all and they resemble the racist cartoons issued during the Nazi domination of Europe, which we have long regarded as anti- semitic and associated with the murder of 6 million Jews. That aside they are clumsy in their message and show no skills at all.
I looked the guy up and he can barely draw. That’s okay if you have something clever to convey, but that doesn’t exist with him either.
There’s much more pertinent information about Sabaaneh in the comments than in the article.
Given the current tenor, one would expect Sir Kier’s constabulary to pay this man a visit. But then we realize the cartoonist is attacking a group that is acceptable to attack. Carry on.
A comic art festival in Bowness on Windermere, now, inevitably, a battle ground for the keffiyehs and kipots. Sigh. It might have been interesting but there are much better things to do with a weekend in the Lakes.
Whether anyone turns up is immaterial. The organisers indulge in virtue signalling and advocacy at our expense. The very fact it takes millions in public money to host a show of cartoons tells you all you need to know about the relevancy of the Lakes Comic Art Festival. The organisers talk a lot about diversity and accessibility but relatively few are interested in accessing it compared to the wider comic book events market.
sabaaneh is a racist in my opinion, and a particularly talentless one by the looks of it. he comes from an imperialist, settler, colonialist, slaver background i.e. palestinian arab non native to palestine except by force of conquest. that alone, you would think, would get the arty farty types to no-platform him. but he’s muslim……
Erm, “to stir up racial hatred in the viewers,” where are the charges?
Or is there something about self-incrimination in our hate speech laws?
The West is now engaged in an effort directed at squaring the circle of freedom of speech with the need to shield the terrorists of zionism from being outed with the Squealerian refrain of alleged antisemitism. Kessler’s objections should have been rejected summarily.
There is no accepted definition of antisemitism other than one of saying ‘you know it when you see it’ with no requirement that the observer be objective. This has led to interested parties having a field day with anything they object to.
Antisemitism, whatever may it be, is a Western/Christian cultural phenomenon to which people from other cultural milieus are immune. To say that a Palestinian is antisemitic on grounds of his dislike of the zionist project is an oxymoron. It fails to recognise that Palestinians have legitimate grounds to dislike the zionists and the state they are in control of. This lack of recognition is a manifestation of the all pervading reflex racism prevalent in the West.