In the wake of the Israel-Gaza War, the divide between institutional reaction and public sentiment continues to widen.
Ahead of next year’s Venice Biennale, the curator and artist for the Australia Pavilion have been removed from their roles, reportedly partly due to their past support of boycotts against Israel. Meanwhile, at the Super Bowl half-time show last week, a protester holding a banner combining the flags of Sudan and Palestine was removed from the stadium.
There has been a noticeable shift. Last year, awards shows and red carpets were full of both overt protests and subtle nods to the Palestinian cause, but now awards bodies and film festivals are reportedly banning political expression in the midst of continued Israeli violence against Palestinians, with few still voicing support in public forums.
On TikTok, users in the United States have reported that phrases such as “Free Palestine” are being flagged as hate speech, something that has only started happening since the platform was reinstated in January.
And yet, among the masses, support for the Palestinian cause remains steadfast. From the occupied West Bank, game designer Rasheed Abueideh has raised more than $200,000 through a crowdfunding campaign for his next video game set during the Nakba.
Speaking to The National, Abueideh says he is grateful for the support his crowdfunding campaign has received from around the world. “There were many who were just pro-Palestine in their stance. Even though they were not Arab or Muslim, they also contributed to the success of the campaign,” he says.
The game, Dreams on a Pillow, is about a Palestinian mother named Omm who was forcefully evicted from her house during the Nakba. The story goes that as she was leaving the house, distraught and discombobulated, she carried a pillow, mistaking it for her child.
“I didn’t think it was a true story at first, but I did some research and it seems to have really happened, according to first-hand accounts,” says Abueideh. “I had first heard it from a famous Arab anthology series, which acted out the story, and it stayed with me for years.”
Abueideh is far from the only emerging talent to see his work embraced since October 7. Artists such as Ahmad Adawy, who lives in Gaza, have seen their work go viral worldwide.
But it is not only the audiences who have grown as a result of the increased focus on Palestine. The work itself has changed, often becoming darker in the wake of great pain.
“Previously, my art celebrated beauty, hope and a vision for a brighter future,” Adawy says from his house in northern Gaza. “I loved painting joyful scenes, expressing optimism even amid hardship. But now, as a husband and father of three daughters, the experience has taken on a terrifying dimension. Watching the fear in my wife's and daughters’ eyes with each explosion is a constant reminder of how fragile our world has become.”
Creatives across disciplines, including Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer, have seen their work evolve and audiences grow. The second season of his series Mo, released last month, is pulling in large viewer figures on Netflix.
While Amer is thankful that people around the world have woken up to the Palestinian struggle, he is also clear that the rising global support does not influence his art.
“It had zero influence on us because we’ve always been there,” Amer says. “We know the story. It’s more like, welcome everybody. Welcome into our hell. Come and watch this.”
Even as institutional resistance stands against calls for a free Palestine, leaders in the arts have shown that they will stick together. Last week, Jewish stars including Jonathan Glazer, Wallace Shawn and Joaquin Phoenix signed a letter published in the New York Times responding to US President Trump’s calls for the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza, saying: “Jewish people say no to ethnic cleansing.”
And in response to the alleged censorship by the Australia Pavilion in Venice, several Australian artists including those shortlisted to showcase work in the pavilion – Hayley Millar Baker, James Nguyen, Mel O’Callaghan and Jenna Mayilema Lee – also issued a joint public letter to the board of Creative Australia and criticised the move.
“We believe that revoking support for the current Australian artist and curator representatives for Venice Biennale 2026 is antithetical to the goodwill and hard-fought artistic independence, freedom of speech and moral courage that is at the core of arts in Australia, which plays a crucial role in our thriving and democratic nation,” they wrote.
This kind of unity has power and has shown the world that people will not quieten their calls for a free Palestine. For better or for worse, in the wake of unfathomable tragedy, nothing will ever be the same. No one will forget or forgive. Suppression will not result in peace – justice will.
