[okie01]

Reading the reaction of the Swedish authorities, one would think that the Israeli-Palestine conflict was occurring on another planet. They seem "removed" from the situation, as if it has no meaning for them. Like it was a video game -- and the flesh and blood wasn't real, but "virtual", instead.

Perhaps it wasn't the particular exhibit itself that caused the Israeli ambassador to go berserk, but this environment of "cool objectivity bordering on indifference" that surrounded it.

I'm inclined to understand (and appreciate) Mazel's violent reaction.

[Charles Henrickson]

The Israeli ambassador to Sweden, Zvi Mazel (L), and artist Dror Feiler (R) argue at the Historical Museum in Stockholm where Mazel damaged an artwork, January 16, 2004, in this grab taken from video.