While the holy land is going through hell, business minded creatives find ways to capitalize on the situation. An endless stream of charities and products inundate the internet. Algorithms haven’t figured me out completely, so I get as many ads for Palestinian children as I do for displaced settlers or soldiers in the IDF. Some seem legitimate, most do not. There’s something for everyone.
Buy a hoodie. Support the cause!
Solace for the dead and dying:
Your lives were not for nothing, you are still participating in the larger economy by helping others (probably in the US) make a profit.
Behold…
A single business model can be applied to opposing sides. No siding with right or wrong, If it sells, sell it. See which works better and put all your eggs in that basket.
All these images here are compiled from two separate web-shops: Love4Israel and EchoesOfPalestine. They have an identical set up, everything from the the template, to the products, to the graphic design style, to the about us page. Uncanny.
The mystery creators however are not entirely neutral, beginning with the choice of the name. Whereas one is a declaration of love, the other speaks of an echo - a distant memory that will dissipate. The future and the past. The colours on the former site are brighter, the latter are slightly darker. And while it might easy to dismiss all this as a scam, the image below takes it to another level entirely.
It popped up as an advertisement on my facebook page, albeit with a slight variation. In the original ad however, above the Satan/Devil was the Palestinian flag, and above The Saviour/God was the Israeli flag. I should have taken a screen shot, but thought of it too late. When I visited the webpage, the image was there but without the flags. Someone must have advised the admins that it was too much. However, even without a flag, it does not take a genius to guess the intended message.
So … on whose team are you?
Red/black/green?
Or White/Blue?
If we are to take the numbers on facebook to mean anything, then PA is leading with 430 followers and 521 likes, while IS lags behind with 71 likes and 77 followers (last I checked)
But on whose side is god?
According to the here-mentioned artists, it’s clear.
For the secularists in the cursed land and elsewhere- god is not an issue, but there are enough religious zealots to go around and cause serious trouble. Given that they have many children, they will soon form the majority. They are a threat to both you and I, semitic brother. They believe that god is on their side, which makes them unstoppable and extremely dangerous. To create peace, we will have to find ways to talk with them - the zealots on both sides - on all sides.
How … how can we not demonize the other who has demonized us? It’s not easy, but it’s the only way to move forward. And that’s what I need to be writing about.
So why am I wasting my time writing about this scam web-shop?
Because it’s troubled me and creeped me out – more than a regular-scammer would.
Using peoples suffering to make profit is nothing new. Utilising archetypal imagery to spread hate and push for a certain narrative has always been done (doesn’t make it right)… but there’s something criminal about this.
Since I take too long writing posts (something I am trying to change but failing) I have visited the IS/PA web-shops several times to mine photos. I’ve witnessed them change their marketing strategy based on what’s ‘working.’ Given that Echoes of Palestine is getting more hits, they have added many new products. They have also updated their ‘About us’ page, diverting slightly in style from the Love4Israel site, and expanding their mention of the plight of Palestinians and the UNRWA. They actually claim to ‘give a meaningful portion of every transaction to UNRWA.’
[Just as the IS web-shop claims to support IsraAID.]
I seriously doubt it! Wouldn’t you?
Who are these people and is there a way to stop them?
I know, this kind of thing is happening everywhere. People have always been duped and sadly – always will be. There are bigger worries and much more important things to write about, to talk about, and above all - to dream about. But here you have it, posted and shared, so one can move on. I’d rather be telling you about a Palestinian and Israeli making art together that connects instead of divides … such people are there - I know they are. Let’s pray they do not go extinct…. that we do not.
In the meantime:
Please consider joining the GLOBAL ACTION on March 2nd 2024 to stop the genocide and and stand against apartheid.
There can only be freedom when everyone is free.
Peace is possible - but first we need to stop the killing.
It’s in everyone’s benefit, Arab, Ajam*, and Hebrews.
https://www.shutitdown4palestine.org/actions
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