Collapsing walls and the question of commemoration: Graffiti in the Israeli withdrawal, August 2005

The paper focuses on graffiti which was created by The Gaza Strip settlers during the Israeli withdrawal (August 2005), while being fully aware of the predetermined demolition of the houses by the Israeli army. The graffiti served two functions: One, concrete and short-termed, was meant for the eyes of the soldiers and the media, and was constructed as an image event. The second function was the construction of historical commemoration through iconic and inscribed narratives, and was directed exclusively to digital archives on the Internet and private collections. This choice illustrates the deliberate twist of the original essence of graffiti as an anonymous genre, which usually performs in the public sphere into a protest against the desecration of the intimate sphere. Biblical citations, popular songs, political slogans and playful inscriptions are discussed. The content analysis of 150 graffiti is supported by interviews, which were conducted with graffiti writers and their addressees.