The CRNI regional rep was questioned once again by Israeli forces.
Saba’aneh with his cartoons at the Bastogne festival, Belgium 2018
Just Word Books, publishers of Mohammad Saba’aneh’s cartoon collection White and Black have let us know that the cartoonist was detained and questioned on Allenby Bridge while journeying to his home in Ramallah from a cartoon festival in Belgium.
The full details of the events of May 31st can be read here. Of particular note is the reported confiscation of a substantial piece of artwork; Saba’aneh says a large cartoon print in the style of a narrative tapestry was taken from him.
Saba’aneh and international cartoonist colleagues look at the print of his work later confiscated by Israeli border forces.
In 2016 we were informed of a very similar incident when Saba’aneh re-entered the country from a work assignment in Jordan. Allenby Bridge is the sole entry point for West Bank Palestininans travelling abroad and was the site of his 2013 arrest that led to five months in prison.
CRNI’s regional representative in Palestine, Saba’aneh has in the past been harassed by officialdom on both sides of the border.
He is a courageous artist and campaigner dedicated to justice and peace. We trust he is unbowed by this latest affront but none the less condemn the baseless harassment and detention described and call for the immediate return of his property, its confiscation being an outrageous act of censorship and vandalism.
We commend Just World Educational for their unflinching support of Saba’aneh and his work.