A wall in the bubble

A wall can make life difficult, sometimes. This past Friday morning, as weekend strollers on Tel Aviv’s peaceful, tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard were on their way to cafes, yoga class, and shopping, many were surprised to find their path blocked by what looked like a concrete wall. Actually, it looked like a section of the oft-photographed wall that forms large parts of the separation barrier in places like Abu Dis and Qalandiya.

According to 37 year-old artist Ehud Segev (the bearded guy wearing a canvas hat, sitting on the bench in the foreground), about 98 percent of passersby stopped to express their support for his installation art-cum-political statement. Mauran Paz (the one holding the bicycle), said that a few parents pushing kids in Bugaboos were angry at the inconvenience of having to lift the pram around the wall. To which Ehud responded that they were absolutely right to be upset: a wall did indeed make life difficult.

Others stopped to use the chalk and spray paint provided by Ehud to decorate the wall.

Around lunchtime, a couple of guys approached Ehud and told him they were more concerned about the well-being of Israelis than of Palestinians.

“I actually agree with them,” said Ehud in an ambiguous response that is open to interpretation. “But in general I am against walls. They always fall, in the end. In the meantime, they just create disconnects and misunderstandings between people.”

And how, I asked, do you respond to those who point out that the separation barrier is often referred to as a security barrier – i.e., that its purpose is to save lives by preventing terrorists from entering Israel?

“I am an artist, so it’s not my job to respond to people who say the wall prevents terror attacks,” he answered. “But I do think there is something very cowardly about building a wall. It’s like sitting in a reinforced room in your house all day, wearing a helmet and bullet proof vest. Who wants to live like that?”

Then, almost as a non-sequitur, he volunteered , “I think the solution to the conflict is for every Israeli to learn Arabic in school from day one. A lot of misunderstandings could be avoided that way.”

By 1.30 p.m. the police ordered Ehud, who had put the installation up around 8 a.m, to take the wall down. “I wasn’t upset,” he said calmly. “Actually, I was surprised it lasted as long as it did.”

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This entry was written by Lisa Goldman and posted on April 28, 2008 at 8:13 am and filed under Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Post a comment(Latest is displayed first) or leave a trackback: Trackback URL.

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38 Comments so far (Add 1 more)

Cute and irrelevant. Very “Tel Aviv”.

And of course it’s not Ehud’s job to determine whether the wall prevents terros attacks… The very wall that enables him to sit so peacefully in Rothschild Boulevard without buses exploding around him.

Perhaps, if walls are indeed so cowardly, our brave Ehud would care to volunteer for guard duty in Abu Dis or Qalandiyah in an area where the wall is (temporarily) removed?

1. Sharvul
on April 28th, 2008 at 11:32 am
A few months ago, an exhibition of Qassam rockets covered the boulevard (between Nachmani and Bezalel Yafe).
Many people stopped to look, but I doubt that they were really influenced. It was just another cool (or weird) that happens in Tel Aviv.
I believe that this was also the case with Ehud’s wall.
Unfortunately I slept till 14:00 and missed the wall…

2. Yohay
on April 28th, 2008 at 11:46 am
This is indeed very Tel Aviv: “Who wants to live like that?” is so superficial. So Ehud would prefer death for himself? Give me a break!

3. beer7
on April 28th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Oh, I discounted the possibility that Ehud would want Israel to fight instead of just cowering cowardly. Somehow I doubt that he would advocate that.

4. beer7
on April 28th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
You know, Ruth: after Jerusalem, we in Tel Aviv have suffered the highest number of suicide bombings of any other place in Israel. Certainly far, far more than Beer Sheva.

I can think of 5 different attacks (with high fatalities) that occurred – in 2002 alone – within a few minutes’ walk of this part of Rothschild Boulevard.

I don’t think, therefore, that one can legitimately claim that Tel Avivians are unaware of how it feels to be a target.

Sharvul: I do not know what Ehud did during his mandatory IDF service because I did not ask him. But I have learned from experience to avoid making assumptions – e.g., that he may never have done guard duty in a border area. In my experience, political opinions and personal experience rarely have much to do with one another.

5. lisagoldman
on April 28th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Lisa,

Have I ever denied that? However, Ehud’s statement that he would rather not live behind a wall is superficial. Do you agree?

6. beer7
on April 28th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
No, Ruth, I do not agree that Ehud’s statement is superficial.

Furthermore, I think there is quite a bit of depth in his words and deeds – if one looks at them with a bit of detachment, rather than with anger and / or defensiveness.

7. lisagoldman
on April 28th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
No anger or defensiveness. Realism. Hard to come by in a bubble, I guess.

9. Sharvul
on April 28th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Sharvul: I was referring to Ruth with my last comment. But since you know me, I guess you know that I have spent plenty of time staring at regional reality in the face. And that I am pretty realistic.

10. lisagoldman
on April 28th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
You, of course Your fellow Rothschildian strollers… I’m not so sure.

And not only are you pretty realistic. You are pretty, period!

11. Sharvul
on April 28th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Hmph. Grumble grumble. Mollified by flattery…

12. lisagoldman
on April 28th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Once again, I stand in amazement. This was one of my favourite areas of Tel Aviv (I hate using past tense but anyways). Of course, my amazement is not of Ehud or Ruth but of you. I came to know many Ehuds during my trips and many more Ruths. I always found each side fascinating. But your ability to cut through, rather effortlessly it seems, is amazing. Bugaboo Betty having to round the wall and be a little flustered at the inconvenience. That is classic. It puts things in perspective. Thank you. I think I’ve regained my humanity along the way. You, on the other hand, always had it. I stand in amazement of thee.

13. Perpetual Refugee
on April 28th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
There is an old saying, “good fences make good neighbors.” When people respect each other enough to respect each other’s space and boundaries, fences become meeting and leaning places for chats, sharing a cup of flour or sugar, not barriers. When those on one side of a fence refuse to respect those on the other, the barrier function becomes necessary.

14. Ay Uaxe
on April 28th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Aye Uaxe – the saying is from a poem called Mending Wall, by Robert Frost
http://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/frost-mending.html
And his point was that he hates the walls (both literal and figurative) that we build to separate ourselves from our neighbors.

15. Aaron
on April 28th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
“I am an artist, so it’s not my job to respond to people who say the wall prevents terror attacks”

if not as an artist, how about as an Israeli? How about asking the Palestinians to stop blowing themselves up, then the walls wouldn’t be necessary. I don’t suppose he would ask women to stop wearing shorts and tank tops and start wearing burkas so men would be less tempted to commit rape.

16. shortylion
on April 28th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Ehud is right about the value of everyone learning Arabic, says she who has spent 2o years trying to learn Hebrew. But until we learn how talk to each other in any language, the wall is useful for security.

When I lived in Manhattan during the high-crime period, way before Giuliani, I didn’t like having to have so many locks on my door and look over my shoulder to see who was following me home from the subway. I did it because the alternative was worse.

17. Savtadotty
on April 28th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
The moment people stop discussing the wall and whether it’s right or whether it’s necessary is the moment when one should really start to worry, because that’s when complacency will have won.

18. Eilanah
on April 28th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Dear Ruth,

if we look at the broader message and include things like the death of his brother in the war you would describe as a necessary action of the State against a threat we should understand that without knowing the circumstances of birth of the idea to create a symbolic perfomance like this without a real political message one we should not judge in a political [mainstream] way.

It looks like he wanted to express how he feels about the situation and nothing more and to go out and show it on the street is not only brave, it seems to me a little braver than following orders, following mainstream, follwing public opinion and hiding in the shelter of the orders, mainstream, public opinion.

19. Shual
on April 29th, 2008 at 3:09 am
Lisa; for the curious non-Hebrew-reader of us, can you tell us what some of that graffiti spells out?

Zoss: the Hebrew graffiti is pretty standard stuff: “entrance on the other side”‘; “walls are meant to be broken”; “the best hummus is thataway [with an accompanying arrow that indicates the other side of the wall]“; etc.
There’s more, but I can’t make it out.
Lisa

20. zoss
on April 29th, 2008 at 4:10 am
Peace starts with understanding what the other side is going thru. Ehud & You are very perceptive.
Thanx for the piece!

21. Halla
on April 29th, 2008 at 4:19 am
If keeping the Security Wall is “cowardly”, what would be better? Take it down and then when
murderers swarm through the space where it used to be, fight them all-out with no quarter? What price bravery?
There’s the luxury of being an artist; you can dodge the difficult moral isssues…..

22. Michael Reynolds
on April 29th, 2008 at 4:20 am
I love this space because it is wall-free. Opinions range and roam freely, with verbal exchanges tossed over and around. A recipe for successful community.

Your comment to Sharvul, I did not understand. Please expand a bit to clarify. You wrote:

“Sharvul: I do not know what Ehud did during his mandatory IDF service because I did not ask him. But I have learned from experience to avoid making assumptions – e.g., that he may never have done guard duty in a border area. In my experience, political opinions and personal experience rarely have much to do with one another.”

Lisa, when my cousin was killed (in a tank in Bint Jbeil — I believe, the last place he would have wanted to be and the last mission he would have wanted to be joining) in that obscene Second Lebanon War, my political opinions changed dramatically. Am I the rare exception you cite? Or, more probably, I misunderstood your comment. Please help clarify. TIA;-)

Tamar: You may have changed your mind about a single issue, but I don’t think your wider world view was affected by the war. If I’m wrong, let me know. Lisa.

24. tamar
on April 29th, 2008 at 7:36 am
I agree with the first few comments to this posting.

How disgusting to see someone feel the moral indignation to be against a wall that saves his very own life, the lives of his countrymen, as well as the lives of his enemies. Because of the security fence, Palestinian lives are saved as well because less of them blow themselves up.

25. an american
on April 29th, 2008 at 9:21 am
I LOVE this post! Quite a reality check indeed… Kudos to Ehud! And many thanks to you, Lisa!!

I think several people here are building their comment on a convenient and unrealistic shortcut – that the Wall is merely a border, full stop. That it’s “the wall or our death”.
Wrong.

Had the Wall been a real national border, mothers wouldn’t be forced to lift the prams to cross, kids wouldn’t be throwing their books across the wall and then jump over to get to their schools.

But the Wall isn’t about security. The wall cuts through a university campus (right through – it’s incredible, you should see it!), separates farmers from their land, kids from their schools. People from their families. Villages from the next ones.

Which is precisely why the people having to lift the prams or walk further to circumvent the wall on the Rotschild Bd. replica make the experience so relevant: this is exactly what people have to suffer every single day.

26. Mohamed
on April 29th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
As so often I agree with Lisa, and I definitely have sympathy for Ehud’s short-lived initiative. While I would be annoyed to see something like this in Europe ( because I know the motives of many of the people behind such demonstrations ) I see no reason why we ourselves cannot point out this and other aspects of the occupation, and how they affect the lives of another people. Sorry Ruth, but the talks about Northern Tel-Avivians are nothing but a part of an ongoing attempt by rightwingers and extreme rightwingers to try and convince us that one’s place of residence in Israel has anything to do with one’s level of commitment to Zionism and to this state. Tel Aviv is just as much a part of the Jewish state as Haifa, Carmiel, Afula, or Dimona. The military cemeteries all over this country are proof of this, unfortunately.

The wall in itself is not so bad, it is a pity that it is a necessity, and as far as keeping suicide bombers and their equipment out is concerned, it does its job pretty well. The main problems with it are that it is a typical short-term Israeli solution ( improvise is our middle name, after all ), and that it was not built right on the Green Line. I am not one of those who claim that we should do what the world wants us to (if we did we would not be here anymore), but if we had built the wall on our side of the border we could rightfully claim that the only purpose of the wall is to protect ourselves. Now it is almost impossible to convince anyone with half a brain that security is our only concern as far as building the wall is concerned. I have interviewed a number of European decision and opinion makers, most of them understand or at least have sympathy for our security concerns, all of them had to concede that when it comes to security the wall serves its purpose, but none of them can endorse the idea in itself precisely because it has all the appearances of another Israeli attempt to grab Palestinian lands.

My opposition to the wall as (or rather where) it is and my support for an end to the occupation are not derived from a more than average sympathy for the Palestinians (though I have nothing against them and feel sorry for them) but from my concern for our own interest. Those who believe that the Palestinians will truly love us if we simply behave well are deluding themselves just as much as those who believe that the occupation can last forever, that it serves our security and that being tough is the answer to all our troubles.

27. Bert
on April 29th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Ehud is right, most walls do come down in the end…and whilst they stand they only offer a perception of safety. If terrorists really want to kill people they will always find a way to do it.

“When those on one side of a fence refuse to respect those on the other, the barrier function becomes necessary.” Ay Uaxe, I agree 100%, but from what I see there is a minority on BOTH sides who refuse to show respect for their neighbours! Maybe it is up to the decent majority to take the lead and actually talk to each other, but that isn’t easy to do over a concrete barrier several metres high.

Thank you to Ehud for creating debate with your art installation and to Lisa for telling us about it!

28. Nicola
on April 29th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Bert,

I recall reading during the discussion on the conscription morale that an IDF officer claimed that there are much less condolence calls in North Tel Aviv that statistically expected. I have not checked whether this information is correct.

In my blog I explain “North Tel Aviv” as shorthand for a specific worldview in Israel (let’s call it postmodernist for the moment). The context was to the rice shortage and a stab against organic food as luxury items for the rich.

I know quite a number of people with this attitude in Beer Sheva, so I am not talking geographically at all.

Just curious: If the wall/fence was erected on Israeli proper territory how would you protect Jews living in the territories? Would you advocate relocating all of the settlers and settlements?

Ruth: I do not want this thread – which has been interesting so far – to degenerate into populist (and baseless) Tel Aviv bashing and/or grave counting. I also do not want it to devolve into an argument about the settlements and the religious national version of Zionism – not only because it usually leads nowhere, but especially because it is not germane to the topic. So if Bert chooses to respond that’s fine; but after that, please take this exchange to private email.
Thanks,
Lisa

29. beer7
on April 29th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
This was a very cool post. It has been a while since you posted an item that got people trying to resurrect the spectre of Herzl – funny how all discussions Israel-related get blown into such fundamental identity issues.

It might not be his job to say whether the wall is effective or unjust, but I believe it is an artist’s job to provoke lively discussion of something we have stopped actively regarding.

In that, he has succeeded with flying colours!

30. adina
on April 29th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I think that Ehud’s comments about learning Arabic were interesting, but I doubt if learning it will bring the peace that we desire with our neighbours and cousins.

In many ways we already know each other too well. What is lacking is not mutual understanding but mutual respect and acceptance of mutual rights.

We, as Jews in the Jewish State have moved a long way towards accepting the national rights of the Palestinians, but they seem to be moving in the other direction.

What will happen if and when more Israelis learn Arabic is that we will then hear and understand exactly what is being said around us. It is not pleasant and I do not think that will improve the situation.

Notwithstanding the above, I am definitely in favour of expanding Arabic teaching here. My eldest daughter is fluent in Arabic and loves the language.

31. Avi
on April 30th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
all the cool stuff always happens on rothschild.. jerusalem boulevard is so boring like that.. :s

32. lirun
on May 1st, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Have to say Lisa, as an artist statement I find this quite cliche, predictable and obvious! The public art critic in me says “meh.”

:I

33. harry
on May 1st, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I like it. It is art. One of the purposes of art is to get us to look at the world in a different way, to look up from outside of own little universes and think. If only for a second.

As Adina said, looked like he wanted to provoke a discussion, and he certainly did that.

34. lisoosh
on May 2nd, 2008 at 12:37 am
yeah i can imagine there were a lot of נו באמת’s flying around as pontzy little boulevardians figured out whether to circumvent or turn around..

other than that.. conversation? i can we can hope so..

35. lirun
on May 2nd, 2008 at 11:25 am
>>yeah i can imagine there were a lot of נו באמת’s flying around as pontzy little boulevardians figured out whether to circumvent or turn around..<<

Oh, and probably lots more נו באמת’s from the bontzy little folks in wheelchairs tried to move from point A to point B.

Heavens, what am I talking about? Musn’t let silly things like the rights of the handicapped to move around freely and independently hinder one’s artistic expression.

Spend a day wandering around a city with a person in a wheelchair. It opens your eyes greatly.

As for the wall–my vote–big wall on the Israel’s side of the green line. Not destroying any Palestinian lands and not blocking internal access, but also not allowing free access into Israel.

Not particularly PC, but that pesky little violent minority has a nasty habit of using openings as a way to sneak in bombs and bombers.

36. Gila
on May 4th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Hi Gila -

I’m sure Ehud would’ve moved the wall in order to allow a person in a wheelchair to pass. The locals (“pontzy little boulevardians” – why? Just because someone chooses to live in a certain neighbourhood and to walk on a certain street he deserves to be disparaged?) did not object – actually, they were the most supportive. Rather, it was the people who visit TA on the weekend who were put off.

If you’re curious, by the way, the “wall” he built is now on display in the plaza of the Tel Aviv Museum of Modern Art, on Shaul Hamelech Blvd.

37. lisagoldman
on May 5th, 2008 at 11:29 am
“The locals [...] did not object – actually, they were the most supportive. Rather, it was the people who visit TA on the weekend who were put off.”

This ‘proves’ the ‘point’ of the TA-bashers

I had a very good time in Tel Aviv yesterday. Just to make sure that I scored some Zionist points too ( as opposed to post-Zionist TA points ) I also hopped over to J’lem. Thank G’d I was able to go home to Haifa in the evening.

38. Bert
on May 6th, 2008 at 6:08 am
I can just imagine such a thing considered “art” on North Michigan Avenue. Would never happen. Only in Israel.

39. therapydoc
on May 7th, 2008 at 3:00 am
Two aspects to the wall debate:
- The wall as border between Israel and Palestine
- The fact that it is constructed in a way that encroaches on more Palestinian lands hinders everyday life etc.

As to the first issue, anyone who (still?) believes in a two state solution should endorse the erection of borders as a first step in that direction. It is the second aspect that (as Bert pointed out) gives the impression that Israel is not interested in defining state -border, but rather in appropriating more land.
But what I find interesting is that opposition to the wall is often presented in existential terms: “wall always fall in the end” and so on. Here the extreme right and the extreme left are united – both oppose erecting a barrier because both believe the entire area should be ruled by one entity (though they disagree on the character of this rule of course)
The conflation of the existential argument: walls are always bad – with the moral one: this specific wall was constructed unjustly – does the greatest damage to the cause of the latter. Do Palestinians and Israelis have some kind of separation anxiety where they just cannot let go of each other? Can’t live with them, can’t live without?

40. Tomer
on May 28th, 2008 at 6:09 pm

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By Hey, what’s that wall doing here? « Yaba Yaba on April 28, 2008 at 3:48 pm

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