Graffiti has become the visual language of resistance across the West Bank

The messaging behind the graffiti on the barrier can be best understood through the term 'sumud', which translates to 'steadfastness' - resilience in light of adversity

Over the past few decades, the revolutionary art form known as graffiti has met perhaps its most controversial canvas: the West Bank Wall, a physical and symbolic divide between Palestinians and Israelis and the land to which they lay claim. Though opposition to the wall’s presence has been spoken since its inception, the world only truly began to listen after it first could look. 

Through the intersection of artwork and activism, graffiti has become the visual language of resistance across the West Bank. Thus, a mechanism for separation has become a mural, uniting its local and global audiences by depicting a shared vision of a more just, peaceful future.

To depict sumud, graffiti on the West Bank Wall tends to feature symbols of importance to the Palestinian identity, quote influential peacemakers such as Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, ask rhetorical questions such as "if all humans are equal, why do they have to live separated?", and evoke a range of emotional responses, from tears to laughter. 

As a public and accessible art form utilised by local youth and professional artists alike, graffiti on the West Bank Wall became a revolutionary act of resistance, leading many across the world to think critically about the wall’s existence, and ultimately, what peace in the area should look like.

FULL STORY As a public and accessible art form, graffiti on the West Bank Wall became a revolutionary act of resistance (Harvard Review)

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