A message of struggle is wiped from the walls of Gaza

First, Palestinian fighters were told to take their fingers off the triggers and give the Palestinian Authority's cease-fire a chance. Now, Gaza's graffiti artists are being ordered to put their spray cans back on the shelf.

"There is a decision to stop writing graffiti," says Ahmad Helles, a youth leader in the Fatah movement of Palestinian Authority (PA) president Yasser Arafat.

"Anyone who violates it will be warned, and then face suspension," adds Mr. Helles, himself a prolific contributor to Gaza City's omnipresent - and at times ominous - graffiti. The markings serve as billboards for Gaza's numerous factions and include calls for revenge and for resistance against Israel. They are also a chronicle of popular sentiment. But the harsh sentiment is being whitewashed - for now.

"We are acting in keeping with the new political situation," says Salah Abu Daya, an aide to Gaza City's PA-appointed mayor, Sa'ed Kharma. The PA last week also issued a directive to newspapers reviving a pre-intifada order to refrain from "incitement" against Israel, something journalists say is highly problematic because Israel can argue that any criticism is "incitement"

A senior Israeli security official, David Haham, says the painting over of slogans and what he terms a "degree of reduction in incitement" in the electronic media are part of the "same positive trend."

"These are first steps, but they create a certain atmosphere and they have importance. Words can kill. It shows the Palestinian Authority is more serious and responsible now," he said.

Since the days of the first intifada in 1987, graffiti has been an integral part of Palestinian nationalism. The practice went into decline with the launch of self-rule, when Japan sponsored the whitewashing of Gaza City's walls as part of what turned out to be a false promise of a new era.

During the current uprising, graffiti and wall art made a comeback, emphasizing fallen leaders, fighters, and civilians through larger-than-life portraits.

But that may be changing as a result of the three-month cease-fire announced two weeks ago by the Palestinian Authority.

"We have to respect the authority's efforts and to respect any steps to achieve negotiations, even if we have doubts," explains Maissa Abu Zeidan, a Fatah youth movement leader and the artist of a depiction of Palestinian children drawn next to the Palestinian Legislative Council building.

The Fatah decision backs up an effort launched by the Gaza municipality to clear the walls, thus far centered on three main streets. The municipality terms it "beautification" but in fact the white paint is so thin that often the slogans are still discernible and it is applied so sparingly that parts of the wall are left their previous drab grey.

Page: 1 | 2