There’s nothing like a life-size replica of a very large wall to get one’s imagination worked up over the imaginary malfeasance of the Israeli government. Especially when no context whatsoever is offered regarding the purpose of the real wall; which effectively prevents terrorists from bombing Israeli buses, pizzerias, pubs, and clubs. Note that there are no replicas of such bombed out relics on display, life-size or otherwise.
This humongous low-brow sight gag, an 8-meter tall, 30-meter long fake security wall, was brought to Britons by St. James’ Church, Piccadilly, in the West End of London. Londoners have 12 full days to behold the vision of this wondrous barrier that stands between Israeli civilians and death. The fake security wall has been installed in the church courtyard as centerpiece for its Bethlehem Unwrapped festival. Richard Millet wrote about it here.
Now not much gets through to my befogged brain in the hours before the coffee kicks in and my day job begins at Kars for Kids, but the sight of this wall, lit up with Klieg lights, kind of wormed its way into my esophagus and lodged there like a ten-pound meatball. What possible response might one make that could match the sheer effrontery of depicting a security measure taken against a hostile population as segregation?
Some believe the most effective way to fight back against this sort of false narrative is to promote Israel’s positive achievements. In line with this theory, might I share my husband Dov Epstein’s suggestion, that Israel mount a counteroffensive in the form of a very large replica of a colon through which an Israeli-invented pill cam travels in real time?
It’s certainly worth a try.
After all, who knows what will come out in the end?
