Ambassador wrecks suicide bomber exhibit in Sweden

Jerusalem Post ^ | Jan 17, 2004 | JP staff

[Ciexyz]

Provocative art by a self-loathing Jew, indeed. The American equivalent would be a board of honor for the 9-11 hijackers.

[Ciexyz]

Damn that's a big pool of blood involved in the exhibition. And the "artist" made sure to include a glamorous photo of the homocide bomber. I can sympathize with the ambassador losing it and going a bit berserk.

[aruanan]

Museum director Kristian Berg suggested that Mazel endangered those in the museum. "He pulled out the plugs and threw one of the spotlights into the fountain, which caused the entire installation to short-circuit and made it totally life-threatening," Berg told Swedish news agency TT, AFP reported.

Effing moron Berg. As soon as it short-circuited and the fuses blew, it was no longer, like, "totally life-threatening." I think it would have been better, though, if the ambassador had added a little of his own color to the pool, turning it from red to orange. It would have been a far more fitting tribute to those involved.

[goldstategop]

Dror Feiler is a Second Holocaust Lefty. What I find infuriating and offensive is the Swedish government's trying to hide a depiction glorifying genocide behind free expression. Its not Zvi Marzel who owes Anna Larsson an explanation, its the Swedish government that owes Israel an apology for breaching understandings surrounding the exhibit with Israel.

[mr.pink]

Pretty silly stuff when one considers most nations have had affiliations they later regreted having. Americas own with both Saddam Hussien and Osama Bin Laden come immediately to mind.

Swedes shortchange

Are there any other groups you could enlighten me on with your broad brush smears?....Blacks?...Chinese?...Italians?...Russians?...Mexicans?

Sees to me that's the type of lazy game bigots could play all day long.

[veronica]

He cut through the BS. Everyone knows, inclduing the Swedish government, that this is politcal stuff.

Yep. And some pro-Israel art was taken out of the exhibit. At the behest of the Syrians.

If I walked into a museum and some piece of "art" glorified the 9-11 bombers, I'd surely be tempted to trash it.

[RobbyS]

Sometimes only force gets the point across.

[Capt. Tom]

"[Mazel] tried to stop free speech and free artistic expression from being carried out in Sweden," Feiler said.

Quite the contrary, Mazel exercised his free speech by words and action. - Tom

[JohnCliftn]

Your flattery does not change the fact that the Swedes, as represented by their current government, are not, in fact, great. The article at the head of this thread shows the Swedes demonstrating cultural boorishness.

Perhaps someday Sweden may become great, but it is not now.

[Snuffington]

Kudos to Ambassador Mazel. Was it "art" when Brownshirts marched through the streets carrying torches and singing the Horst Wessel tune? The messages are strikingly similar.

Some more support coming in from the blogs Powerline, and Little Green Footballs.

[Nachum]

Mazel......TOV.

[Bonaparte]

Do you add beer to the chili?

[GeekDejure]

Provocative art by a self-loathing jew, no doubt, but I must admit that my interpretation of the piece was quite different than that of the Ambassador. The way he saw it though, I understand his reaction.

Hanadi Jaradat, the Maxim restaurant homicide bomber, kills 21 patrons and staff as well as her totally insane self on October 4th, and that's all just fine from a murderous Muzzle-em point of view. Or... maybe I should say, "Hey, that's life... so don't get your nose out of joint!"

But if I have the audacity to see her dispicable, murderous acts from a different perspective... and further have nerve enough to piss on a picture of the mass murderess... WOW!!! Now I will be arrested, tried and convicted of having "No Respect For A Dead Woman" ... then sentenced to receive "40 lashes each day for 40 days" !!!

Sounds totally and completely logical, huh???

.

[dougherty]

Kudos to the ambassador.

[fdsa2]

For the record, I found the piece of "art" distasteful - Yet it raises certain interesting issues. As a correction, the Swedish government has no say about what is to be shown in museums. There has never been an "understanding" about the exhibition, but could exist one concerning the up-coming genocide conference (which originated in a series of holocaust conferences).

There is undeniably an historical need/obligation in/for Sweden (and the rest of Europe as well) to be vigilant against the rise of anti-Semitism. Sweden also has a history of siding with the palestinians which further reinforces this need among media/politicians/citizens.

Still I find myself thinking about the bumper sticker you sometimes see about hating someones ideas but beeing prepared to die for his/her right to express it.

I went and saw the piece this morning, and noticed it´s in three pieces. First the digusting pool with the picture boat, second the "kantat" (dont know the english word) by Bach "My heart swims in blood" and thirdly a sign on the wall which basically says, "In secrecy, she entered Israel and rushed into a restaurant in Haifa. Shot a security guard, blew herself up and murdered 19 innocent civilians."

My interpretation of the piece is that the "artists" want to point to the never ending spiral of violence creating violence. This brings me to the (ironic?) actions of the ambassador.

The artists constructed the piece in order to provoke thoughts (and reactions). Well, they got it! but did the action benefit the Ambassador/Israel?

In media this morning an Israeli gov. rep. (Ran Curiel) said that they expect the Swedish government to order the removal of the piece and that "Israel wont let Sweden hide behind pretentions of freedom of expression for actions which justify terror attacks against israelis."

Which brings me back to the bumper sticker. I personally, cant stand the piece, but I still refuse to acknowledge book burning mentality - in any form.

The saddest part however, would be if Israel boycotted the conference which will be discussing early prevention and combating of genocide, conflicts and terrorism.

[mr.pink]

Do you add beer to the chili?

If drinking a beer while eating chili counts...then yes. ;o)

Actually, my chili is pretty basic....it would be laughed at by true chili afficionados.

Spaghetti sauce is my forte.

[Tricorn]

"Some factual errors here:"

Why do facts all of a sudden matter when you're spewing hatred? They don't to the Swedes.

(And to recall how Charles XII's boys used to spread terror and pillage everywhere they went, the Swedes would come to this...)

[anguish]

Why do facts all of a sudden matter when you're spewing hatred?

Yes, I kind of understood that facts wouldn't matter to you.

[Bonaparte]

"...Spaghetti sauce is my forte."

Me too....

Bonaparte's spaghetti sauce

red onion
green bell pepper
fresh mushrooms
green olives
olive oil
2-lb ground beef
4 tbsp chili powder
hot habanero sauce
chilpotle sauce
crushed red peppers
canned stewed tomatos
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
grated romano

Saute chopped onion/bell pepper in oil. Cook beef in separte skillet. Drain beef fat, return beef to skillet, add sauteed onions/bell pepper, tomato sauce, stewed tomatos, chili powder, habanero, chilpotle, crushed peppers. Simmer x 15 min, stirring occasionally. Fold in sliced mushrooms and sliced green olives. Cover and set aside x another 15 min. Cook vermicelli. Serve with killer baked garlic bread and topped with lots of fresh grated romano.