In the wake of the Israel-Gaza War, the divide between institutional reaction and public sentiment continues to widen.
Ahead of next year’s Venice Biennale, the curator and artist for the Australia Pavilion have been removed from their roles, reportedly partly due to their past support of boycotts against Israel. Meanwhile, at the Super Bowl half-time show last week, a protester holding a banner combining the flags of Sudan and Palestine was removed from the stadium.
There has been a noticeable shift. Last year, awards shows and red carpets were full of both overt protests and subtle nods to the Palestinian cause, but now awards bodies and film festivals are reportedly banning political expression in the midst of continued Israeli violence against Palestinians, with few still voicing support in public forums.
On TikTok, users in the United States have reported that phrases such as “Free Palestine” are being flagged as hate speech, something that has only started happening since the platform was reinstated in January.
And yet, among the masses, support for the Palestinian cause remains steadfast. From the occupied West Bank, game designer Rasheed Abueideh has raised more than $200,000 through a crowdfunding campaign for his next video game set during the Nakba.
Speaking to The National, Abueideh says he is grateful for the support his crowdfunding campaign has received from around the world. “There were many who were just pro-Palestine in their stance. Even though they were not Arab or Muslim, they also contributed to the success of the campaign,” he says.
The game, Dreams on a Pillow, is about a Palestinian mother named Omm who was forcefully evicted from her house during the Nakba. The story goes that as she was leaving the house, distraught and discombobulated, she carried a pillow, mistaking it for her child.
“I didn’t think it was a true story at first, but I did some research and it seems to have really happened, according to first-hand accounts,” says Abueideh. “I had first heard it from a famous Arab anthology series, which acted out the story, and it stayed with me for years.”
Abueideh is far from the only emerging talent to see his work embraced since October 7. Artists such as Ahmad Adawy, who lives in Gaza, have seen their work go viral worldwide.
But it is not only the audiences who have grown as a result of the increased focus on Palestine. The work itself has changed, often becoming darker in the wake of great pain.
“Previously, my art celebrated beauty, hope and a vision for a brighter future,” Adawy says from his house in northern Gaza. “I loved painting joyful scenes, expressing optimism even amid hardship. But now, as a husband and father of three daughters, the experience has taken on a terrifying dimension. Watching the fear in my wife's and daughters’ eyes with each explosion is a constant reminder of how fragile our world has become.”
Creatives across disciplines, including Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer, have seen their work evolve and audiences grow. The second season of his series Mo, released last month, is pulling in large viewer figures on Netflix.
While Amer is thankful that people around the world have woken up to the Palestinian struggle, he is also clear that the rising global support does not influence his art.
“It had zero influence on us because we’ve always been there,” Amer says. “We know the story. It’s more like, welcome everybody. Welcome into our hell. Come and watch this.”
Even as institutional resistance stands against calls for a free Palestine, leaders in the arts have shown that they will stick together. Last week, Jewish stars including Jonathan Glazer, Wallace Shawn and Joaquin Phoenix signed a letter published in the New York Times responding to US President Trump’s calls for the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza, saying: “Jewish people say no to ethnic cleansing.”
And in response to the alleged censorship by the Australia Pavilion in Venice, several Australian artists including those shortlisted to showcase work in the pavilion – Hayley Millar Baker, James Nguyen, Mel O’Callaghan and Jenna Mayilema Lee – also issued a joint public letter to the board of Creative Australia and criticised the move.
“We believe that revoking support for the current Australian artist and curator representatives for Venice Biennale 2026 is antithetical to the goodwill and hard-fought artistic independence, freedom of speech and moral courage that is at the core of arts in Australia, which plays a crucial role in our thriving and democratic nation,” they wrote.
This kind of unity has power and has shown the world that people will not quieten their calls for a free Palestine. For better or for worse, in the wake of unfathomable tragedy, nothing will ever be the same. No one will forget or forgive. Suppression will not result in peace – justice will.
The five pillars of Islam
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on animal trafficking
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
More on Quran memorisation:
The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on Quran memorisation:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Homie%20Portal%20LLC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20End%20of%202021%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdulla%20Al%20Kamda%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2014%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELaunch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More on Quran memorisation:
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
%3Cp%3EThe%20UAE%20flag%20was%20first%20unveiled%20on%20December%202%2C%201971%2C%20the%20day%20the%20UAE%20was%20formed.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIt%20was%20designed%20by%20Abdullah%20Mohammed%20Al%20Maainah%2C%2019%2C%20an%20Emirati%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMr%20Al%20Maainah%20said%20in%20an%20interview%20with%20%3Cem%3EThe%20National%3C%2Fem%3E%20in%202011%20he%20chose%20the%20colours%20for%20local%20reasons.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20black%20represents%20the%20oil%20riches%20that%20transformed%20the%20UAE%2C%20green%20stands%20for%20fertility%20and%20the%20red%20and%20white%20colours%20were%20drawn%20from%20those%20found%20in%20existing%20emirate%20flags.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Zayed Sustainability Prize
ELECTION%20RESULTS
%3Cp%3EMacron%E2%80%99s%20Ensemble%20group%20won%20245%20seats.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20second-largest%20group%20in%20parliament%20is%20Nupes%2C%20a%20leftist%20coalition%20led%20by%20Jean-Luc%20Melenchon%2C%20which%20gets%20131%20lawmakers.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20far-right%20National%20Rally%20fared%20much%20better%20than%20expected%20with%2089%20seats.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20centre-right%20Republicans%20and%20their%20allies%20took%2061.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Ramy%3A%20Season%203%2C%20Episode%201
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAri%20Katcher%2C%20Ryan%20Welch%2C%20Ramy%20Youssef%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERamy%20Youssef%2C%20Amr%20Waked%2C%20Mohammed%20Amer%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
