White and Black: Political Cartoons from Palestine

Palestinian political cartoonist Mohammad Sabaaneh has gained renown worldwide for his stark black-and-white drawings that express the numerous abuses and losses that his countrymen suffer under Israel’s occupation and celebrate their popular resistance. This collection includes 180 of Sabaaneh’s best cartoons, including some depicting the privations he and other Palestinian political prisoners have suffered in Israel’s many prisons. This book offers profound insights into the political and social struggles facing the Palestinian people and a pointed critique of the inaction or complicity of the “international community.” Veteran graphic artist Seth Tobocman contributes a foreword.

Praise

“Each of Mohammad Sabaaneh’s powerful drawings is like a gut punch that gets straight to the essence of the stark reality of Palestinian life under Israeli occupation. This is how an artist resists.”
—Joe Sacco, author and illustrator whose books include Palestine and Footnotes in Gaza

“Despite working at a very complicated crossroads of ideology and political pressures, Mohammad Sabaaneh continues to produce sharp, incisive cartoons. His tenacity and courage is an inspiration for cartoonists around the world.”
—Matt Wuerker, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist at Politico

“If you want to get a smart Palestinan’s view of what’s happening in the Middle East, you can’t do better than look at Mohammad Sabaaneh’s cartoons—they tell you more than words can say.”
—Victor Navasky, publisher emeritus, The Nation

“Being an editorial cartoonist in the world today is a challenging task. First there are the journalistic rigors of keeping abreast of the news big and small, local and international. Then there are the satirical challenges of finding a way for you to employ the many faces of humor in your cartoon commentary. Finally, there is the artistic challenges of drawing your satirical commentary in a compelling visual way on short deadlines. Mohammad has proven that he can master all the difficult challenges of our unique craft. But what makes Mohammad’s place in the world of cartooning so extraordinary is that he performs his art in the world’s hottest of political hotspots. There is no place on the planet where the skins are thinner or the fuses shorter than in the Israel/Palestinian conflict. Mohammad bravely uses his great talents as a cartoonist to work in the midst of this political minefield. Mohammad has earned the respect and admiration of many in the global cartoon community. I salute Mohammad and his cartoon efforts.”
—KAL, editorial cartoonist, the Economist

“An eloquent work on the ravages of settler colonialism. Every line in this collection achingly cries ‘Palestine, Palestine!’ This book is a must for all who care about peace and justice.”
—Khalil Bendib, author of Mission Accomplished: Wicked Cartoons by America’s Most Wanted Political Cartoonist

“Sabaaneh’s illustrations are intricate and moving—stark, striking, and rich with Palestinian visual traditions and symbols. The result is a series of intimate portraits of Palestinian life under occupation that combines history and present-day reality. These cartoons are a powerful call to action, both to the international community and to the Palestinian people, serving as a reminder that at the end of the day it is we—Palestinians around the world—who will be the masters of our own destiny.”
—Leila Abdelrazaq, graphic artist and author of Baddawi

“Mohammad Sabaaneh is one of the most talented Palestinian cartoonists working today. His haunting figures, rendered in black, white and grey, show us a vivid Palestinian perspective on the Israeli Palestinian conflict, protest, injustice, and human rights. Sabaaneh avoids the stereotypes so often encountered in cartoons about Israel made by Arab cartoonists, making his message that much stronger.”
—Tjeerd Royaards, cartoonist and editor-in-chief of Cartoon Movement

“Mohammad Sabaaneh has been accused of many terrible things. This is good. The best political cartoonists are always accused of libel, blasphemy, and slander. In a part of the world where the conflicts have run so long that the issues seem dreadfully familiar, Mohammad’s brutal cartoons about a brutal occupation prompts readers to think about things from a different perspective. A fresh point of view can change the world, and no one’s trying harder to do that than Mohammad Sabaaneh.”
—Ted Rall, nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist and columnist

About the Contributors

Mohammad Sabaaneh is a Palestinian graphic artist living in Ramallah in the West Bank. He is the principal political cartoonist for Al-Hayat al-Jadida, the Palestinian Authority’s daily newspaper, and has published his work in many other newspapers around the Arab World. He is a member of the International Cartoon Movement as well as the VJ Movement for visual journalists around the globe. Sabaaneh’s work has been displayed in numerous collections and fairs in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East, and he won third place in the Arab Caricature Contest in 2013. Sabaaneh has a BA in interior design and he currently works as an administrator at Arab American University’s Ramallah campus.

Seth Tobocman is the cofounder of World War 3 Illustrated. He is the author and illustrator of numerous graphic books, including You Don’t Have to Fuck People Over to Survive, Portraits of Israelis and Palestinians, and Understanding the Crash. He has participated in exhibitions at ABC No Rio, Exit Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art. His illustrations have appeared in the New York Times among many other publications.

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