Monday 29 January 2024

Bring Them Home Now!

These are certainly not the prettiest photos I will ever share on my blog. They aren't of birds or flowers, ancient ruins or even my work. After a long break, I have started to share my art here once again, but it was bothering me that Israel is at war and I haven't mentioned it nearly enough.
Since losing Gadi, I have not gone back to my usual hiking or visiting art galleries but, in recent weeks, I did make time to visit Kikar Hatufim (Hostage Square) and "Nova 6.29", an exhibition which recreates the Nova music festival site, in Tel Aviv. I hope those of you who are more used to visiting this blog to read about my paper art will indulge me and take a few minutes to learn about these important installations.
On Saturday 7th October Hamas began a coordinated surprise offensive on Israel. The attack began in the early morning with a barrage of at least 3,000 rockets launched from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. One of the rockets reached the city that I live in. In parallel, some 2,500 Palestinian terrorists breached the Gaza-Israel barrier and massacred civilians in neighbouring Israeli communities. At least 1,200 Israelis were massacred, including residents of eight kibbutzim in southern Israel. That number includes 364 young people at the Nova music festival. In addition roughly 240 unarmed civilian hostages and captured Israeli soldiers were taken to the Gaza Strip, including women, young children, Holocaust survivors and babies. This was the largest sustained slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.
Since that horrific day, the square outside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art has been transformed into Kikar Hatufim (Hostage Square). In the square there are pop-up art installations, posters, signs and messages left by visitors. Numerous tents commemorating each of the kibbutz communities destroyed on 7th October are manned by families of the kidnapped who are holding 24/7 vigils.
The yellow brick road, above, is made up of handwritten messages intended to lead the hostages home. The empty Shabbat table (top photo), is an installation that has been replicated in communities around the world. The long, empty table with place settings and yellow decorations, symbolizes the hostages that have been held in captivity in Gaza since Israel was attacked by Hamas. Posters with the names, ages and photos of the hostages are also displayed on the table.
Gatherings take place every night at Kikar Hatufim. It has become a space for meditation, reflection, song and prayer.
The "Nova 6.29" exhibition at the Tel Aviv Expo is named for the exact hour on 7th October when rockets began falling on the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im. More than 3,000 people were at the festival that began on Friday night 6th October and was meant to last into the afternoon of 7th October. As rockets began falling early that morning, the partygoers were still dancing, and at first didn't realize that hundreds of Hamas terrorists, who arrived on gliders and mopeds, were launching an assault. The attackers shot and killed some 364 people and assaulted and abducted dozens more.
The exhibition includes hundreds of items retrieved from the site of the festival, from stage props and sets, to personal items brought by partygoers that weekend. Visitors navigate their way through scattered tents and sleeping bags, rolled-up yoga mats, water bottles and camping chairs lying on their sides. In the background, trance music plays on the neon dance floor and oversize video screens show the faces of the DJs and dancers, as well as screenshots of WhatsApp messages sent as people began realizing that an assault was taking place and hurried to alert their families.
Other artifacts on display are the bar adorned with untouched bottles and a row of yellow bullet-riddled toilet cubicles, below. Hamas terrorists aimed their guns at any space where someone may have been hiding. Skeletons of burned out cars are testament to the attempted flight of hundreds of people who were mown down by the terrorists.
Toward the end of the exhibition is perhaps the most harrowing and painful section, "Lost and Found," with rows of shoes and sunglasses, hats and deodorants, hair clips and house keys, most destined never to be reunited with their owners. Families of victims and abductees are invited to help identify and reclaim personal belongings.
As visitors take their leave, a long, rolling screen shows portraits of all the 364 partygoers who were gunned down that day, as the song, "Shomer Yisrael" ("Guardian of Israel"), plays in a loop.
"Nova 6.29" gives us a sense of the horror that occurred on 7th October and at the same time, honours the victims and helps the survivors grieve. The world needs to see it.

Sticky Mud and Belly Laughs
PoCoLo

19 comments:

Kim Carberry said...

To be honest I have been burying my head in the sand a bit about Israel being at war and avoiding the news. It is awful about what is happening but pretty amazing how people have come together to make these displays and exhibitions. x

Catherine said...

It was really emotional reading about all the tributes and the WhatsApp messages. Thank you for sharing your experience.

#MMBC

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

I grieve with you. The pointless violence and loss of life is staggering. #MMBC

NCSue said...

Praying for peace.
May God keep you safe!

VeggieMummy said...

The displays and exhibitions are indeed very valuable. I fear that people are beginning to forget the atrocities that Hamas committed on October 7th. We still have the marches calling for a ceasefire in London every Saturday - even this week on National Holocaust Memorial Day, after Hamas turned down the Israeli offer of a 2 month ceasefire in exchange for the return of all the hostages.
Thank you for sharing this post, Lisa. Stay safe. xx

Joanne said...

What beautiful and haunting displays.. I am so glad you have shared this.

hels said...

The Nova Music Festival massacres must have been well planned by Hamas in advance. Teenagers altogether, without their parents, having a great time with their friends. Great music, singing along and total relaxation.

All massacres are obscene but this was the most obscene of all.

Little Wandering Wren said...

The world feels so troubled at the moment, thank you for sharing your perspective. I'm sending you a massive hug from across the world, your voice is heard and I love this post to the max for this.
Wren x

Life Images by Jill, West Australia said...

It really is terrible what is going on in the middle east right now. Actually terrible is not the right word. But we follow the news, and grieve for the losses, and hope that an end is in sight. Why does man do this to each other? Take care. Stay safe. I am joinning you on the Image-in-ing linkup.

Lillian "sognafaret" said...

It is all over the news every day

Villrose said...

An important exhibition showing the results of the horrible terrorist attack.
I really hope for peace in the Middle East, and also an end of the ongoing extreme revenge against also innocent palestinians.

Handmade in Israel said...

I hope that Villrose will see my response, since I cannot reply to her comment.

Israel’s war against Hamas is NOT a war of revenge. It is a war to protect our borders to ensure that the atrocities of 7th October never, ever happen again.

And how is Israel supposed to avoid Palestinian civilian casualties when Hamas deliberately embed themselves amongst their own civilians? There is not a mosque, school or hospital in Gaza that has not contained stores of weapons and shafts leading to underground tunnels. Not one.

Israel has done everything it can to separate out the Palestinian civilian population from Hamas. It has opened humanitarian corridors to allow the civilians to leave for designated safe areas in southern Gaza whilst there is documented evidence of Hamas preventing those same civilians from leaving. Hamas’s calculated and cynical strategy is to use Palestinian civilians as human shields. Hamas is 100% responsible for Palestinian civilian casualties.

Villrose said...

I understand it is a very difficult situation to live in Israel. Hamas did a 100 % horrible terrorist attack, no doubt. Of course they should free all the hostages now!!

Israel is responsible to kill nearly 30000 Palestinians as a revenge. From abroad, it looks not right. I agree Hamas use Palestinian people as human shields, but revenge only makes things worse.

I am very concerned about the ultra-orthodox settlers, and what they are doing to exacerbate the situation.

I hope you stay safe!

Handmade in Israel said...

Villrose, first of all, I would be wary about simply accepting the number of Palestinian casualties that you read about. The only numbers released are from the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza who is run by, guess who, Hamas! And even if you accept their figures, there is not a single Hamas terrorist on their list! Somehow, magically, according to Hamas, in three months, Israel has managed to only kill civilians and not hit a single terrorist!

When the al-Ahli Hospital was supposedly hit by Israel, within 10 minutes the Palestinian Health Ministry claimed that at least 500 people had been killed. Of course it turned out that it was an Islamic Jihad misfired rocket that hit the hospital car park. It was neither Israel's responsibility nor anything like that number.

Secondly, once again, this is not a war of revenge. You use that word very easily. This is a war to rid Gaza of Hamas so that Israelis living in the south of the country can finally sleep in their beds at night - or send their children to dance festivals - without fear.

Finally, there are NO ultra-orthodox settlers or any other settlers in Gaza. Israel withdrew completely in 2005.

PaulaShort said...

I've been so saddened and grieving with Israel. I've been praying daily. You've giving sound information and truths here. I do not watch main stream media here in the USA, because most media is wreckless in reporting. My prayers for Israel continue.
Visiting today from PoCoLo #9&10

Anne said...

I hear there are more talks taking place to release the prisoners, I so hope they are home safe soon, I cannot even begin to imagine what they are going through and how awful it must be for their families.

Ruth said...

Thank you for sharing these beautiful displays and tributes. I am so sad about what is happening in Israel. I don't watch the news because it distresses me and makes me so anxious. But I do think of you and your family often and pray for your safety. Sending much love to you Lisa xxx
#mmbc

Memories of Eric and Flynn said...

It is terrible what is happening in Israel. I watch the news and now some are saying Israel is killing everyone and should stop. They forget it was Hanas, a terrorist organisation who started with their massacre of innocents. They have held Gaza for far too long! I know I have a too simplistic view but I can only go by what the media wants to tell us.

Esme Slabbert said...

Thank you so much for sporting the #WW (Words Welcome) Logo. That's awesome
Thanks so much for participating and sharing at #17 InLinkz #WordlessWednesday (Words are also welcome). See you again next week!