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The Representation of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in Palestinian Museums

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The Representation of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in Palestinian Museums The Yasser Arafat Museum Chapter Two MASTER THESIS: MUSEUM STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF AMSTERDAM THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT IN PALESTINIAN MUSEUMS THE YASSER ARAFAT MUSEUM, THE PALESTINIAN MUSEUM AND THE WALLED OFF ART HOTEL Shirin Husseini 11386118 Supervisor: Dr. Chiara De Cesari Second Reader: Dr. Mirjam Hoijtink Date of Completion: 29 March 2018 Word Count: 28,023 Front page image: Al-Nakba (Palestinian Catastrophe in 1948) exhibit in the Yasser Arafat Museum, Ramallah. Photograph Credit: (Yasser Arafat Museum, n.d.). i The Representation of The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in Palestinian Museums The Yasser Arafat Museum, The Palestinian Museum and the ‘Walled Off’ Art Hotel A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the MA Museum Studies (Heritage Studies) March 2018 ii Abstract This thesis tackles the expansion of the museum sector in Palestine, and the noticeable emergence in the last few years of museums of a larger scale and higher quality, which try to contribute to the national narrative. In exploring this topic, I discuss the statelessness of Palestine and the lack of sovereignty of the Palestinian Authority, which has created a disorganised and unattended performance of different actors in the museum field. As a result, museums create their own narratives and display national history without any unifying national strategy to lead them. Through an analysis of three museums, each of which display narratives about contemporary Palestinian history, I argue that the different affiliations of these museums, their organisational structures, funding resources, and political ideologies, shape their representation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. As the conflict is at the centre of Palestinian collective memory and national identity, this representation could be influential in the future of the Palestinian state-building endeavour. The three case studies are unique in their visions and positions, as between them they represent a semi-governmental organisation (the Yasser Arafat Museum), a non-governmental organisation (The Palestinian Museum), and an international intervention combined with a local business (Banksy's ‘Walled Off’ Art Hotel). Each case contributes to the argument of the thesis and presents different aspects of the complex issue of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and its potential resolution. By comparing the different concepts, practices and motives of the three museums in representing the conflict, I conclude that despite the differences between their approaches and display methods, they have all, implicitly and unintendedly, responded similarly to the complex issues of the conflict. The image of the conflict the three museums contribute to shaping is one of the ongoing Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and its continuing illegal practices and violations of international law. Through their displays they make an argument for justice, freedom, and a better future for Palestinian people. They also emphasise the statelessness of Palestine, but leave open questions about any potential reconciliation and the future of the Palestinian State. iii Acknowledgment Throughout the process of researching and writing this thesis I have been inspired and supported by several individuals and institutions. I would like to express my deep gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the completion of my study. I would like to start by thanking my supervisor, Dr. Chiara De Cesari, who has supported and guided me with her experience and knowledge throughout the process of writing the thesis. In addition, I deeply appreciate my course director Dr. Mirjam Hoijtink for showing her continuous support during the whole programme. I would like to thank the Museum Studies professors at UvA who taught me and shaped my academic experience. My very sincere thanks to Dan Leberg for the academic writing advices and Laura Alexander for the great work and dedication in editing my thesis. I would like also to express my profound gratitude and love to all my colleagues for the great experience and the unforgettable times, particularly to my friends Irem Sezer, Valeria Posada Villada and Maria Montcalm for being there always, sharing the good and hard times. During my field research in Palestine I was warmly welcomed by each of the studied museums and helped by several Palestinian institutions and experts in the field, and I would like to express my deep gratitude to them all. I would like to thank the director of the Yasser Arafat Museum, Mohammad Halayqa, as well as Ibrahim Muzain and all the welcoming and professional staff. In The Palestinian Museum, I would like to thank the director, Dr. Mahmoud Hawari, Haneen Makho, and the curator of the inaugural exhibition, Reem Faddah. I would like also to extend my appreciation to Jehad Yasin, the director of the Excavation and Museums Department of the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. In addition, I am sincerely grateful to all the interviewees for their time and help. I hereby thank Dr. Nazmi Jubeh, Dr. Taha Hamdan, Jack Persekian, Lara Khaldi, and Mohammad Sabaaneh. All my love and sincere gratitude to my family for their unconditional love and support. My studies would not have been possible without the great love and care of my brother, Aref Husseini, who has continuously supported me in every step of my personal and academic life with all the means at his disposal. Finally, my iv appreciation and love to my friends, especially Nai Barghouti, who pushed me forward at the most difficult times and encouraged me with hope and inspiration. v Table of Contents Abstract iii Acknowledgment iv List of Abbreviations viii Introduction 1 Chapter One: Theoretical Framework 7 1.1 Museums in Palestine: The Struggle for Museum Institutions in A Stateless Context 7 1.2 Museums and The Construction of National Identity 13 1.3 Representation of War and Conflict in Museums 16 1.4 Methodology 19 Chapter Two: The Yasser Arafat Museum 22 2.1 History and Organisational Structure 23 2.2 Analytical Review 24 Location, Architecture and Spatial Analysis 24 Concepts, Approaches, and Practices: A Leader or A National Cause? 28 A Review of The Permanent Exhibition 35 2.3 The Representation of Conflict in Yasser Arafat Museum 38 The Representation of Armed Struggle and War 38 The Representation of ‘Self’ and ‘Other’ 41 A Trauma Site or A Propaganda Museum 42 Chapter Three: The Palestinian Museum 45 3.1 History and Organisational Structure 46 3.2 Analytical Review 50 Location, Architecture and Spatial Analysis 50 Concepts, Approaches, and Practices: Beyond A Traditional Museum 52 Inaugural Exhibition - ‘Jerusalem Lives’ (Tahya Al-Quds) 54 3.3 Representation of Conflict in The Palestinian Museum 59 The Focus on Jerusalem in The Representation of The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict 59 The Representation of ‘Self’ and ‘Other’ 62 The Representation of Conflict in an Independent Museum 63 Chapter Four: The ‘Walled Off’ Art Hotel 66 4.1 Banksy and The Idea of The Project 67 4.2 Analytical Review 70 Architecture, Location and Setting 70 Concepts, Approaches, and Practices: Activist Art and Dystopian Tourist Attraction 73 The ‘Walled Off’ Museum 75 4.3 Representation of Conflict in The ‘Walled Off’ Art Hotel 79 Representation of All Sides of The Conflict 80 Disneyfication of The Conflict 83 An Invitation to Coexistence and Reconciliation 85 vi Conclusion 87 Bibliography 92 Appendices 101 Appendix 1. List of Interviewees 101 Appendix 2. Summary of The Interviews 102 Appendix 3. The Architectural Drawings of the Yasser Arafat Museum 124 Appendix 4. The Architectural Drawings of The Palestinian Museum 125 Appendix 5. Posters in the ‘Walled Off’ Museum 126 vii List of Abbreviations PA Palestinian Authority PNA Palestinian National Authority PLO Palestinian Liberation Organisation NGO Non-Governmental Organisation UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Fatah The Palestinian National Liberation Movement Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine viii Introduction Introduction The cultural scene in Palestine is vibrant and dynamic, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the nation and the complex political realities of the country. Despite the fever of Palestinians to preserve and revive cultural heritage through museum initiatives and artistic and cultural projects, Palestinian museum institutions are challenged by the complex political situation and the Palestinian reality under Israeli occupation. Over the past couple of years, the Palestinian cultural scene has witnessed a rise in the number of museums, and it is striking that some of these newly inaugurated museums are accommodated in large and expensively designed buildings, operate on a large scale, and contribute to the national narrative. However, none of these museum experiments is a national Palestinian museum or has been initiated by the Palestinian Authority (PA). Some of the recently inaugurated museums have struggled to open for years, due to the Palestinian socio-political context as well as internal institutional challenges such as disagreements about the conveyed content and staff turnover. The Palestinian museum is a ‘Stateless Museum’, challenged by the Palestinian reality which includes the state’s lack of sovereignty, dispersed people, fragmented territories, and the ongoing expropriation and destruction of Palestinian material culture. A Palestinian national
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