When Israel entered Gaza earÂliÂer this year, Caryl Churchill, whom Tony KushÂnÂer calls “one of the most imporÂtant and influÂenÂtial playÂwrights livÂing,” wrote a nine minute play entiÂtle “SevÂen JewÂish ChilÂdren: A Play for Gaza.” In FebÂruÂary, it had a brief run at LonÂdon’s RoyÂal Court TheÂatre and elicitÂed very difÂferÂent reacÂtions. Some celÂeÂbratÂed the play, callÂing it “dense, beauÂtiÂful, eluÂsive and intenÂtionÂalÂly indeÂterÂmiÂnate” but also approÂpriÂateÂly “disÂturbÂing” and “provocaÂtive;” othÂers labeled it a blood libel and essenÂtialÂly anti-semitÂic. Although conÂtroÂverÂsial, the Guardian felt that it was imporÂtant for peoÂple to see the play and form their own views. So they comÂmisÂsioned a perÂforÂmance and had it disÂtribÂuted online. You can watch it above, draw you own conÂcluÂsions, and, if you want, read more about the project over at the Guardian.
This piece of video was sent to us by rkcliÂbrary over TwitÂter. Thanks for thinkÂing of us.
This is terÂrorÂist proÂpaÂganÂda, which is blaÂtantÂly obviÂous to anyÂone who knows their hisÂtoÂry regardÂing this part of the world. What a shame that intelÂliÂgent peoÂple use nonÂsense like this to form opinÂions of curÂrent events rather than doing the heavy liftÂing of learnÂing and underÂstandÂing hisÂtoÂry. It is symÂbolÂic of the intelÂlecÂtuÂal laxÂness of our times.
Would you dare — dare — offer a hoodÂed KKK arguÂment for racism in the name of letÂting your readÂers make their own deciÂsions about posÂsiÂble racism? Why are the JewÂish peoÂple open to that?