Conversation

Must a Palestinian have an Oscar for the world to care when he’s attacked? (Sleman Altehe | +972 Magazine, 2025-03-25)

https://www.972mag.com/hamdan-ballal-attack-arrest-oscar/
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"When news broke of the settler ambush [on the Palestinian village of Susiya], the headlines focused almost exclusively on one thing: [Hamdan] Ballal’s Oscar win."

"... the emphasis was clear: the assault and detention of a Palestinian is notable because he holds international acclaim."

"Why must a Palestinian’s intellectual recognition be the basis for solidarity? Why does the global media insist on highlighting that Ballal is an Oscar-winning filmmaker?

"This kind of solidarity, grounded in fame or intellectual achievement, dangerously aligns with colonial patterns of recognition. It reproduces the logic that some lives — those legible to Western audiences — are more grievable, more shocking to violate, and more worthy of defense."

#WestBank #HamdanBallal
@palestine@lemmy.ml @palestine@a.gup.pe