A colouring book by Nathi Ngubane, “From the River to the Sea”, was published by Social Bandit Media on 25 February 2024.
A South African author and illustrator has had to defend himself after being accused of promoting the extermination of Jews through his colouring books. From the river to the sea.
“I have received hate messages and last week I was attacked by Zionists on LinkedIn and Facebook. [that] “If they found the books they would burn them. Another message said they wanted to buy the books to use as toilet paper,” Nathi Ngubane said. Citizen.
Illustrators have also been told they are not qualified to speak about the Middle East conflict.
“They started complaining and asking bookshops to remove the book from their shelves,” Ngubane said.
He maintains that the children's book is not anti-Semitic.
“This phrase is a moving call for freedom, human rights and coexistence. The aim of this book is to tell the story of Palestine and their fight for freedom. I am receiving these hateful messages while children and their parents are being burned alive. But is a colouring book the dividing line? As a visual artist and writer, I have a responsibility to contribute to the political education of young people,” Ngubane said.
Jewish Representative Committee speaks out
“We respect different political views and policies, but it's frankly shameful that children are being dragged in this way to further a political agenda,” said Adam Charnus, an analyst with the South African Board of Deputies of Jews (SAJBD). Citizen.
“Politicization in early childhood is confusing because it divides the world into 'us' and 'them.' When people divide the world into 'us' and 'them,' they are using a defense mechanism that is common in severe psychopathology.”
Related article: “Israel's lack of concern for human life is shocking” – Pandor
“No censorship”
The pressure was so intense that some Exclusive Books stores removed the book from their shelves, and the retailer issued a statement defending its sale in some stores.
Charnas said removing the book from certain stores should not be seen as censorship but as “protecting young people and fostering social cohesion.”
Charnas said the book's title is offensive because it “suggests that a state should exist in all of the territory over which Israel has sovereignty today.”
The title refers to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
“This is at best a refusal to recognize the right of the Jewish people to live as an independent state in their ancestral homeland, and at worst a call for the extermination of the Jews currently living there,” Charnas said.
Those who use the slogan claim it is a peaceful call for the unification of the two nations. The slogan has also been used by certain Jewish groups in the past.
“The response can be that this has mainly been done by far-right Jewish groups and that the term has never had a peaceful connotation when used by either group of people. Indeed, we, the SAJBD, the 120-year-old democratically elected representative body of the South African Jewish community, reject the use of the term by all factions.”
Inspiration
The idea to put together the book came after the South African government filed a genocide lawsuit against the Israeli government at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) late last year.
“Right after the hearing we came up with the idea to create an activity book for children to learn about Palestine and their fight for freedom,” Ngubane said.
Related article: Gaza hospital announces 37 killed in attack on UN school; Israel claims Hamas used it
From the river to the sea was published by Social Bandit Media on February 25, 2024. The organization is a collective that seeks to step in at key moments and create educational materials.
Ngubane previously worked with Social Bandit Media on Duma saysIt was about people living in informal settlements during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they can avoid infection.
He had always wanted to write a book like this From the river to the seaWe explore Palestinian history, culture and the fight for freedom, and introduce some of the country's notable figures.
The war after October 7
However, after Hamas fighters attacked communities along the southern border between Israel and the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, large numbers of Palestinian civilians were attacked by the Israeli government.
“We thought this was the right time to start telling the Palestinian story. A lot of the news I was watching wasn't telling the full story of what was going on in Palestine. To date, 36,000 Palestinians have been killed.”
Ngubane said he was inspired to take action by shows of solidarity with Palestine around the world, including Mzansi's speech at the International Court of Justice.
“We felt the time was right to create an activity book that would help parents and children understand the Gaza war, but at the same time, the book will also teach them about the Palestinian people and their history,” he said.
“We wanted to maintain this theme throughout the book: Palestinian hope and resistance, and Palestinian bravery and courage during this horrific time in our history.”
Charnas argued that there is nothing wrong with children's books that are educational or religious in nature.
“Our contempt for this book stems from its target audience of children and its clearly hateful, false and indoctrination-oriented purpose.”
Read it now: Watch: “Israel Seeks to Destroy Palestinian Lives” – South Africa Requests Urgent Action from International Court of Justice
