The current exhibition at the Karsh-Masson Gallery at City of Ottawa features an exhibit by Palestinian-born artist Rehab Nazzal. The exhibit has been strongly condemned by Rafael Barak, Israel’s Ambassador to Canada. [An article at MuslimLink profiles Nazzal and the exhibition] Here is the press release issued this morning by the Embassy of Israel:
Exhibit at Ottawa City Hall Glorifies Terror
Ottawa, Canada – May 23, 2014: An exhibit at Ottawa’s City Hall Karsh-Masson Art Gallery reflects a culture of hate and incitement that contradicts the values of Canada as a guardian of peace and champion against terror. Although the exhibit claims to present “portraits of lost artists, activists, writers and leaders,” this deceitful description is cover for what is a “who’s who” of international terrorists: suicide bombers, masterminds of massacres, terrorist operatives and the hijackers of planes, buses, and schools. Many of those glorified are individuals connected to organizations that appear on Canada’s official list of terrorist entities.
Ambassador Rafael Barak met yesterday with Mayor Jim Watson and they discussed the problematic nature of the exhibit especially because it does not portray “artists, activists, writers and leaders” as is presented in the pamphlet (see page 7, attached pdf), but known terrorists including the mastermind of the Ma’alot school massacre that took place exactly 40 years ago this month, which killed 22 children and 3 adults—in fact, the creator of the exhibit, Rehab Nazzal is a relative of Khalil Nazzal who was the mastermind of the massacre. “I met with Mayor Watson and was pleased to learn that this exhibit does not reflect his values or the City of Ottawa.” At the same time, Ambassador Barak noted that this exhibit provides “Canadians with a window into what lies at the root of terrorism and the obstacles in Israel’s quest for peace: the Palestinian glorification of terror, the incitement of violence and the refusal to accept the State of Israel.” Furthermore, “it is disappointing to see a culture that glorifies known terrorists as leaders.”
Below are the biographical sketches of just a handful of the suicide bombers, masterminds of massacres, terrorist operatives and hijackers glorified in the exhibit. In addition, attached you will find both the cover of the exhibit’s pamphlet with notes identifying some of the terrorists and an excerpt from the pamphlet that describes these individuals as “artists, activists, writers and leaders.”
Abu Iyad: The chief of Palestinian Black September, who was responsible for the 1972 Munich Games Massacre (killing 11 Olympic Israeli team members and 1 German police officer) and several other international terror attacks and hijacking.
Dalal Mughrabi: A PLO militant, who died in her own hijacking operation of a civilian bus in what is now known as the 1978 Coastal Bus Attack (killing 38 people including 13 children).
Abu Jihad: A cofounder of Fatah and the head of its military wing. He was responsible for establishing the paradigm of violence against any civilian targets as a means of struggle. He was the mastermind of the 1975 Tel Aviv Savoy Hotel attack (killing 8 civilians) and the 1978 Coastal Bus Attack (killing 38 civilians). In addition, he was implicated in attacks against Arab targets including the assassination of an Egyptian journalist, Yusuf Sibai, in 1978 in Cyprus, which was intended to send a message to Egypt for the signing of a peace treaty with Israel.
Naji Al Ali: A political cartoonist who was critical of both Israel and Arab regimes including the PLO. He was ultimately assassinated in 1987 in London by Palestinian operatives for unflattering cartoons about Yasser Arafat and his associates.
Shahida Abu Ghazaleh: A female operative who died in 1968 when a bomb she was preparing for an attack on Tel Aviv accidentally detonated.
Zuheir Mohsen: The leader of the Pro-Syrian government as-Sa’iqa faction of PLO and liaison with President Assad. His organization is said to have played a role in the Damour massacre in Lebanon’s coastal town in 1976 that killed over 300 Lebanese Christians.
Khalid Nazzal: The Secretary of the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and commander of its military branch who was responsible for the attacks on Ma’alot and Beit Shean in 1974 and Jerusalem in 1984.
This exhibit has no place in Canada. The Palestinians are the aggressors; Israel simply retaliates. How many missiles must Israel absorb before the world understands this? Palestine wants Israel obliterated; nothing else will do. Please pack up this show.
The Palestinians just want their land that was stolen from them back, and for the apartheid to end. You’ve got to look at both sides of the story.
Growing up in the 70s in Ontario I never could have believed that Canada could become a nation of anti-Semites. I find there is a willful blindness when it comes to learning the truth about the Palestinians and why even Arab countries can’t stand them.
Dear Mayor Watson
I am sadden and outraged about the exhibit How could you allow that to happen. I visit schools for the last 35 years and tell the students about the holocaust Tell them not even to use the word hate and be tolerant to everyone , so that they can grow up in a world of peace That exhibit has no place in Canada We hope it will not happen again thank you. Sincerely Vera Gara and Family
No one but a committed Zionist would make the statement above by Walter Grant. <>.
The truth of the matter, as the rest of the world knows, Gaza is a big open air prison. The 1.5 million Gazans are completely controlled by Israel. No sea port, no airport, no roads leading outside the area. Therefore no trade, no tourists, no connection to the outside world without Israel’s permission. Mister Grant has the effrontery of calling the projectiles ‘missiles’, when they are only tubes with gun powder shot aimlessly into the air towards the nearest Israeli towns a few miles away. The real ‘missiles’ are the ones the Israelis shoot from the air, and these kill indiscriminately.
Why are the Israelis so afraid of the Gazans? Gazans are the former Phoenicians who controlled the Mediterranean until Rome took them out in 100 BC. They are the best the traders in the Middle East. God forbid that they should compete with the Israelis.
No, Mister Grant, no one is fooled by your ‘thousands of missiles’ being fired by the Gazans.
Palestinians are the most incarcerated people on Earth. About 190,000 of the West Bank’s 2.4 million Palestinians live in refugee camps and face tougher conditions, including higher unemployment and overcrowding than their neighbors in towns and villages. The Israelis began peace talks with the the Palestinians in July 2013 but relocated over 10,000 Bedouin people from the West Bank in Aug 2013 to make way for more illegal settlements for the Jewish Israeli people. They continued to build further illegal settlements early this year in the West Bank which causes the Palestinian to feel hopeless about their living in their own Palestinian land. The Israeli govt is not sincere in peace talks as they have built illegal settlements for many decades leaving very little left in the West Bank for Palestinians’ ownership.
What would you do if your neighbor was determined to eradicate you. What news reports are you reading? Israel has
bent over backwards to settle the dispute but the Palestinians are never satisfied; nor will they be. None so blind as those who will not see!
I’ve never read such a bias article, and I’ve read a few, just surprised at the banner on top of this article. Sad day for Canada, you know, the land of the free, remember? Proud of City Halls decision to keep this exhibit and now that the ‘honourable ambassador’ has brought this exhibit to my attention I can now have the privileged of viewing it, as should be in the land of the free.
When Israel stops stealing from, murdering and imprisoning the Palestinian people and when they learn to tell the truth they can whine about what is on display in other countries. Until then they can shut up and work on correcting themselves. There is nothing that can be said by the Israelis that can be trusted until they show they are not the hypocritical liars and thieves they constantly show themselves to be and only after they have emptied every single illegal settlement and given that land back to the actual owners. The Palestinians. (just a side note, my great grandfather was a *Palestinian* Jew disgusted by the zionists and their thievery)
To be frank; if I were a Palestinian I would do no less than to try and destroy the evil, lying bureaucrats who speak of peace out of one side of their mouths while allowing the ongoing theft and destruction of land they DO NOT OWN but STEAL from the rightful occupants.
for a country with zero resources, they keep telling the world what to do. Tell the ambassador just to keep his mouth shut.