WEST BANK: Palestinian activists take 'Avatar' analogy to heart

A couple weeks ago, Babylon & Beyond reported on the controversial comparison between the plight of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation and that of the Na'vi people featured in the hit movie "Avatar." 
On Friday, Palestinians in the West Bank took the analogy to heart, dressing up as the blue natives of the planet Pandora for their weekly protests against the Israeli occupation and the ongoing construction of a barrier in the town of Bilin. 
The eye-catching publicity stunt, which took place a day after the Israeli government began to reroute the barrier to give Palestinians access to more land, drew journalists, as shown in the video above. 
At first protesters look like they're having fun.

But the Na'vi costumes failed to impress the Israeli soldiers, who fired teargas at them. 
The video splices footage and audio from the movie with scenes from the protest.
"We are here Avatars and Na'vis fighting against the sky people who are taking away our land, and occupying our people," an activist says. "Here, as opposed to Hollywood, this is real."
— Los Angeles Times
Videos: Scenes from a protest. Credit: YouTube. Photo: Screen grab from video.

Comments

[Not Skypeople]

Sadly, the skypeople are winning...

[US guy]

http://palsolidarity.org/2010/02/11404

It seems that the Israelis have used international sympathy garnered from WWII and their persecution then to become the new Nazis. They've made a mockery of the whole point. Why'd we give them a country anyway?

http://palsolidarity.org/2010/02/11404
Letting settlers simply steal people's houses, stealing people's belongings, and not giving the displaced new homes? That's inhumane.

[Greta Berlin]

The people of Bil'in have been non-violently demonstrating for over seven years. Each week, they had a new theme and each week they faced tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, sound bombs and Israeli brutality. In 2005 and 2007, I spent weeks with the brave protesters from this village, watching them confront the Israeli army and insist that they had the right to their land.

With the Navi costumes and comparison to Avatar, they are finally getting international recognition. But where has the world been for all of these years as Israel gobbled up their land, their trees and their water? Where has everyone been as Israel has imprisoned their leaders, murdered one of the protesters, and tear-gassed those of us demonstrating for the rights to live on their own land? Bravo to all the non-violent protesters, thousands of us, Palestinian, Israeli and internationals who have faithfully walked every Friday to confront the 4th largest military in the world and to win.

[John davis]

When the Palestinians recognize Israels right to live in peace and to not seek to murder and kill all the Jews then perhaps peace will be atainable. The Palestinians have zero connection to the Navi in Avatar. If you want to see a real tribe that has a close resemblance to the Navi then look up the tribe in India the Dongria Kondh in the Nyamigri mountain range who are being kicked off there land and having the mountains destroyed for a large UK aluminum mining factory.
The world focuses on the Palestinians to ad nauseum, while most of the Arab countries continue to deny the Palestinians in there midst citizenship or basic human rights. Yet the world continues to focus on Israel as being the aggressor. If there were any other free nation on this earth that had thousands of missles lobbed in there cities, the repercussions would be a million times more severe then what Israel has ever waged against the Hamas militians and terrorists who seek to destroy even there own women and children by shooting and hiding amongst them to maximize "collateral" damage. There is absolutley no corrolation between the Navi of Avatar and the Palestinians. NONE. Again, look up the Dongria Kondh if you want to see a Navi similarity.

[Moshe]

i dont think you guys realize that the story behind avatar is a fight to keep one's own land. the fallen tree is the second temple, and nav'i people are fighting for their right to have the land that was always theirs

[John Smith]

Sounds like an appropriate analogy to me. As a matter of fact, I thought about the same analogy while I was viewing the film for the first time in the theater

[NYC dude]

Our hearts are with you...viva palesine!

[Isabelle]

Wow, life imitates art.

Except in the real world, the sky people are winning....so far.

[Daniel]

Please, people. Real life is not as one-sided as "Avatar".

[Andre from Sacto]

So now where are all the trolls who always complain that Palestinians must learn how to protest non-violently? Where are the crys about how "they" are all violent extremist?

When there is legitimate protest is gets ignored and the IDF chickens still use tear gas on non-violent protesters. Yet if one was to throw a rock they would be shot on site and the media would gloat over the killing. This is why Israel is the new South Africa.

[thetruthurts]

amen! People need to see the truth.

[Vic c.]

Inspirational indeed. This border issue will never go away...