Kara Conlan

April 29th, 2016

Phillips

English 101

 "The Armored Dove:" A Message of Peace and Unity for Palestine and Israel

Images, including paintings, comics, graffiti, and even ads, are all powerful mechanisms of influencing an audience's emotion or reaction. By using both symbolism and simplicity an image can become "worth a thousand words," enabling one to interpret something as meaningful as a story or significant message about a certain topic. Banksy, a satirical graffiti artist, uses his artistic ability to design beautiful art all around the world to address important political issues. In the examined image, Banksy's art is featured behind a Muslim woman standing on the sidewalk. The graffiti piece "The Armored Dove," painted on a wall in the Israeli-occupied West Bank in Palestine, features a white dove wearing a bulletproof vest with a red gun scope aimed at it's heart, while holding an olive branch in it's beak. The image of Banksy's artwork of an armored dove holding an olive branch symbolizes the hypocritical struggle for peace between Palestine and Israel. The effects of the fighting are further exemplified through the presence of the Muslim woman in the foreground, since innocent civilians, similar to her, are being targeted during this time of religious conflict.

The location of Banksy's artwork, home to years of persistent tension between two countries, provides context behind the painting's significance. The territorial and religious conflict sparked as a result of the Holocaust, when Jewish citizens were in search of their own country to prevent a repeat of history. A large portion of Palestine was given to the Jews, however, it led to discontent in many Arabs who had lived there for years. In 1948, a war broke out between the two sides that resulted in the Egypt's control over the Gaza Strip and Jordan's control over West Bank, where many Palestinians were forced to flee to ("Guide"). However, in 2005, the Hamas, a terrorist organization, took control of the area, and currently, the two sides live in a state of constant violent unrest where mutual distrust prevents the two religions from coexisting (BBC). The following image is located in the area of West Bank; Palestine land west of the Jordan river. This location is prone to violence due to the Israeli forces desire to gain the remaining Palestinian territory. Banksy deliberately chose to create his meaningful message in West Bank to further influence the audience's interpretation of it's significance regarding the conflict between regions and peace. 

The specific wall in West Bank where the artwork is featured also holds an extensive measure of historical significance, further emphasizing the picture's importance in relation to the conflict going on in Palestine. Between 1987 and 1993, a series of attacks made by Palestinians on Israeli occupiers, known as the Intifadas, had taken place in Palestine, killing around 2,000 Palestinians ("The First Intifada"). The First Intifada, taken place in front of the wall presented in this image in West Bank, resulted in the death of 40 Palestinians who were shot to death ("Israel/Palestine"). By purposely using this location, Banksy intended for his audience to make the comparison of the dove's significance to the terrible massacre of civilians. Above the dove, small bullet holes can be easily seen, serving as a public reminder of the violence committed at this spot. Banksy left these holes untouched rather than simply painting over them, to not only leave the memory, but add to his message against the consequence of conflict. Altogether, Banksy's artwork and use of this specific location where the struggle for peace in the area is exemplified, shows a strong contrast of wanting peace amidst the violence. 

Along with the historical significance of the location, the artwork's meaningful value is also influenced by the symbolic use of a dove holding an olive branch; a universal symbol of peace, love, and innocence. In general, animals are often regarded as harmless due to their innocent nature and being, however, in the artwork, this conception is emphasized with the specific choice of a dove. Doves are known for being peaceful, gentile creatures, not only because of their white color, a symbol of purity, but because they are mentioned in the story of Noah's Arc in the Bible. In this story, a dove returns an olive branch at the end of a flood, demonstrating the kind nature and innocence of the animal. The olive branch alone is usually used as a symbol for terminating conflict as well as bringing about peace, therefore the image of two strong symbols for peace, proves to be an even stronger message against the religious conflict. Banksy painted a dove holding a green olive branch to essentially show his desire for the violence between Palestine and Israel to come to a halt. 

Although the dove represents a symbol of peace, the bulletproof vest around its chest shows the hypocrisy between the countries and absence of peace in this area. Banksy uses two very different symbols to contrast peace and violence to one another in order to inflict a response from the audience. It is obvious that a bulletproof vest is unsuitable for a dove, especially since it is a strong symbol of innocence, and most importantly, peace. The bullet proof vest, used for protection against potential threats, is a giant symbol for violence that is also used to demonstrate that the area is not safe even for those who do no harm. The vest can also be seen as a symbol of distrust in the opponent, Israeli forces or Palestinians depending on the side. This idea of the dove's distrust can be reflected on how some citizens do not feel safe enough in an area where one is persecuted for the religion they believe in. Due to this lack of trust, hypocrisy is shown through the contrast of the dove and olive branch against the bullet proof vest. Altogether, the image reflects the current political issue where the Palestinians and Israelis lack trust for one another, resulting in a stalemate of no peace being acquired between the two regions.

Along with the bullet proof vest, the bright red scope view standing out on the dove's bulletproof vest, similar to one seen from a rifle or sniper, further represents the constant violent unrest in Palestine. The threat of killing an innocent animal who is offering a truce and reconciliation elicits visual attention, allowing people to reflect on the reason behind the violence. Banksy chose to make the scope the color red to symbolize rage, anger, and violence. The vibrant color against the innocent white color of the dove automatically shows people that the dove is in danger. Even one who shows no desire to fight back is still at risk of still being attacked. The dove shows effort in coming to terms due to the presence of the olive branch, however, the vest along with the gun scope prove that it can not be done easily. Not only does the dove represent the general fighting between the two regions, but it also represents the innocent individuals who are caught between the fighting. This situation mirrors the conflict because hundreds of innocent Muslims and Jews are being targeted by the opposite force for solely believing in another religion. Those who have no control over the situation can still be influenced by the violent conflict.

When the audience takes a step back and looks at the full image of the Muslim woman standing in front of Banksy's "The Armored Dove," it is evident that both main features of the image collaborate with one another in order to convey a strong message. The artwork alone conveys the message of desiring harmony, however the woman featured ties the loose strings to portray who this work could relate to. Banksy's painting gains attention because it shows an innocent animal being targeted for only offering peace. This is similar to how thousands of innocent women and children in the area are being tortured and killed for doing nothing but simply believing in their religion. The woman standing in the foreground wearing a hijab is a human example of the meaning of Banksy's artwork because she is someone innocent who is affected by the violence in this country. The woman can be seen Banksy's artwork alone is a clear message of the desired peace, however the image featuring both the art and a Muslim woman demonstrate a connection that people like her can be considered the dove who exist in a violent community. 

Altogether the image of a Muslim woman standing in front of Banksy's "The Armored Dove" piece sends a political message that the two nations need to come together and trust one another in order to coexist peacefully. Each region has their guard up against the other, however they both have intentions of living in harmony. The dove and olive branch prove to be a strong symbol for the peace that is desired by all of the innocent citizens caught in between the violent fight between religion, whereas the bullet proof vest conveys the irony of the situation. Since the message is located in West Bank, the barrier between the violence, and located on a wall where a dreadful result of the conflict has occurred, it is clear that the image of the art and the woman was made to demonstrate the necessity of unity for the sake of all the innocent bystanders. 

Works Cited

"Guide: Why Are Israel and the Palestinians Fighting over Gaza? - CBBC Newsround." BBC. BBC News. BBC, 20 Feb. 2015. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.

"Israel/Palestine." Israel/Palestine. TKI, 2007. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.

"The First  Intifada 1987- 1993." Jerusalemites. The First  Intifada 1987- 1993. Jerusalemites, 2011. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.

Street Art Utopia. "Israel Palestine Peace Dove." Street Art Utopia. Street Art Utopia, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 21 Mar. 2016. <http://www.streetartutopia.com/?attachment_id=992>.
