Commemorative posters in Palestine

In Palestine, commemorative posters or martyr posters are a common way to memorialize martyrs (Shahid, Arabic: شهيد), which includes anybody who was killed by the Israeli military, regardless of whether or not they had been participating in active resistance or a member of a militant group.^[1]

While posters have historically been a common medium in Palestinian art, the practice of using posters in commemoration started in PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization)-sponsored posters during the 1960’s and 1970’s. This practice became especially popular during the Second Intifada, with digitally designed posters printed en-masse.^[1]

Posters are usually sponsored and published by different Palestinian political organizations. Major political groups in Palestine use posters to commemorate their leaders and members who have been killed in active struggle against Israeli forces,^[2]^[3] as well as Palestinian national figures.^[4] However, political groups will also posthumously claim and associate themselves with civilians, even if the martyr was never politically active, especially in the case of young children.^[5] Because of this, some Palestinians view martyr posters as mostly a political and publicity tool for various political organizations.^[5]

^ ^a ^b "The Palestinian Poster". Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question – palquest. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
^ Kovacs, Attila (2010). "Martyrdom and Visual Representations of the Palestinian Islamic Movements". Studia Orientaila Slovaca. 9 (2): 175–192 – via Academia.
^ Abufarha, Nasser (2009). The Making of a Human Bomb: An Ethnography of Palestinian Resistance. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-9211-8.
^ Khalili, Laleh (2007). Heroes and martyrs of Palestine: the politics of national commemoration. Cambridge Middle East studies. Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-86512-8. OCLC 76141996.
^ ^a ^b Allen, Lori A. (2006). "The Polyvalent Politics of Martyr Commemorations in the Palestinian Intifada". History and Memory. 18 (2): 107–138 – via JSTOR.

[:0-1] "The Palestinian Poster". Interactive Encyclopedia of the Palestine Question – palquest. Retrieved 2024-05-07.

[:2-2] Kovacs, Attila (2010). "Martyrdom and Visual Representations of the Palestinian Islamic Movements". Studia Orientaila Slovaca. 9 (2): 175–192 – via Academia.

[:3-3] Abufarha, Nasser (2009). The Making of a Human Bomb: An Ethnography of Palestinian Resistance. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-9211-8.

[:4-4] Khalili, Laleh (2007). Heroes and martyrs of Palestine: the politics of national commemoration. Cambridge Middle East studies. Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-86512-8. OCLC 76141996.

[:1-5] Allen, Lori A. (2006). "The Polyvalent Politics of Martyr Commemorations in the Palestinian Intifada". History and Memory. 18 (2): 107–138 – via JSTOR.

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