Palestinians as Na'vi

Palestinians have claimed the recently released science-fiction movie Avatar as a metaphor for their own plight, dressing up as the movie's gentle, simple Na'vi people who lived in a paradise until a greedy, brutal, Western industrial force invaded their lands in the search for resources. (Despite being set in the 22nd century, plot and characters are stereotypical American.)

Here's an Associated Press news item from today:

Palestinians dressed up as the Na'vi from the sci-fi film "Avatar."

Palestinian protesters have added a colorful twist to demonstrations against Israel's separation barrier, painting themselves blue and posing as characters from the hit film Avatar. The demonstrators also donned long hair and loincloths Friday for the weekly protest against the barrier near the village of Bilin. The demonstrators compared their struggle with the Na'vi race portrayed in Avatar, who find themselves having to defend their people and homeland against foreign invaders.

Clever, even if the comparison distorts reality in just about every way. Some of those ways: The Arab-Israeli conflict (which is much larger than the Palestinian-Israeli conflict) ranks as the 49^th most lethal among conflicts since 1950. Zionists attracted Arab immigration by virtue of their economic dynamism. Palestine before the Zionists was no paradise but a place universally seen as backward, poor, and oppressed, with Western visitors to Jerusalem describing it as "ruined," "contemptible," "debris-filled," " desolation and misery," rotting away from boredom, desertion, and neglect," and "a pauper village" (that last one comes from Mark Twain). Palestinians per capita receive far more foreign aid than any other population on earth. (February 12, 2010)

Related Topics:  Arab-Israel conflict & diplomacy, Palestinians receive the latest by email: subscribe to daniel pipes' free mailing list This text may be reposted or forwarded so long as it is presented as an integral whole with complete and accurate information provided about its author, date, place of publication, and original URL.