Gaza walls wiped of calls for resistance

By JUSTIN HUGGLER in Jerusalem

The dense graffiti that line every street in the Gaza Strip calling for resistance to Israeli occupation are to be removed under the resurgent peace process.

Palestinian workers this week began daubing white paint over the Arabic slogans sprayed on the walls of Omar bin al-Mukhtar St, one of Gaza City's main thoroughfares, under an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians to crack down on incitement to violence from each side.

Every alley in Gaza is lined with spray-painted graffiti that have made the streets into pages. Some of the graffiti are skilful, even calligraphic, some just a scruffy scrawl.

There are quotations from the Koran, and from classical Arabic poetry. Sometimes the writers of the graffiti try their hand at composing verse.

But overwhelmingly the graffiti are made up of slogans against Israel, and calls to arms.

One of the slogans painted over read: "The blood of the martyrs will not be wasted", signed by the militant group Hamas. Another said the militant Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades "mourn their hero-martyrs".

The streets of Gaza used to act as newspapers for Palestinians. During the first intifada, when all the occupied territories were under direct Israeli control, Palestinian newspapers, radio and television were controlled, and Palestinians began using the streets to spread news.

That tradition persists in graffiti that announce suicide bombings and militant attacks, and who was involved. Graffiti from Hamas militants announce they have made new Qassam rockets to fire across the fence into Israel.

The walls are also plastered with posters of militants who died in suicide bombings, proclaiming them as martyrs.

These are the pin-ups of the occupied territories, and the posters and graffiti glorify the suicide bombings.

The decision to remove the graffiti came from Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Prime Minister, and his cabinet, said Mohammed al-Masri, the head of Palestinian intelligence's political section.

Israel and the Palestinians have also agreed to form a joint committee to monitor the language of official media and school textbooks.

- INDEPENDENT