When Art Meets Outrage: Bhenji Ra, Palestinian Resistance, and the Pain of Rafah
Greetings Warriors
When Bhenji Ra, a transdisciplinary artist from Gadigal land (Eora Nation), was named the inaugural ambassador for the Biennale of Sydney’s ArtSeen program, I saw immediate tension. Her work revolves around dance, illustration, video, and community activation—bold, embodied, unapologetic expressions of identity Daily Telegraph+2Biennale of Sydney+2Google Arts & Culture+2.
Then, ahead of a massive pro‑Palestinian protest across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, she posted an image reading “DEATH DEATH TO THE I.D.F.” layered over protest details. The move ignited fierce backlash, with critics condemning the language as dehumanizing and incendiary Daily Telegraph.
But here’s where I land: I find Ra’s stance commendable, deeply rooted in outrage. What’s happening to the Palestinian people is absolutely horrible—and the IDF’s actions look disturbingly similar to the terror Jews endured under the Nazis. This isn’t about hate—it’s about calling out brutality.
Why Supporting Palestinian Resistance Matters to Me
In my article “Palestine: A Fortress of Memory in a Time of Fire” (linked here), I explored how Palestinians cling to their museums, their music, their stories—even under bombardment. Their cultural identity refuses to vanish despite relentless attempts to erase it.
Institutions like those in Gaza and the West Bank have been flattened—museums destroyed, archives shattered. Yet Palestinians rebuild, curate, and keep culture alive. That resilience runs through every line of their story. My piece “All Eyes on Rafah” (linked here) lays it out: Rafah was once a refuge, now flattened like Poland under Nazi invasion. The IDF razed upwards of 90% of buildings, turning cities into ghost maps Wikipedia.
Supporting Ra isn't just political. It's solidarity with a people who watch their homes fall—and still light the candle of culture.
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What Bhenji Ra Did—and Why It Stung
Ra’s Instagram post didn’t come out of nowhere. As Biennale’s ambassador, her voice was amplified. And on the eve of a large protest, she posted a slogan calling for the death of the IDF, layered with obscenities—including the word “Zionist.” The Executive Council of Australian Jewry called it “dehumanizing,” and NSW officials labeled it unacceptable—even while acknowledging the Biennale’s independent structure.
Now, many might see “death to the IDF” as extreme. But let me be clear: My support for Ra’s stance comes from watching what IDF forces have done in Rafah. That removal of shelter, the bulldozers leveling entire neighborhoods, the evacuation orders issued then ignored—this is genocide by behavior. Soldiers themselves have described methodical demolitions without cause, displacing civilians and razing farmland—actions reminiscent of historical atrocities, not defensive operations UNRWA+4The Washington Post+4Wikipedia+4.
Ra’s post isn’t celebratory violence. It’s rage. Rage at a system inflicting mass suffering on innocent civilians.
Rafah: The Verdict of Devastation
The city of Rafah, once home to over a million displaced Palestinians fleeing northern Gaza, became the site of an IDF offensive in May 2024. Satellite imagery shows city-shaping destruction: 89% of buildings damaged or destroyed, entire neighborhoods bulldozed in weeks—not months WikipediaWikipedia.
The IDF shattered judicial red lines. They expanded buffer zones, evicted refugees, and bombed areas previously deemed safe. In Al‑Mawasi refugee camp, tanks shelled tents in designated humanitarian zones—killing at least 21 civilians, many women and children Wikipedia.
That level of destruction mirrors WWII Europe. The razing of Rafah echoes Poland’s fate under Nazi occupation—a city erased to make room for control. It’s historical trauma replayed on new victims.
Palettes of Remembrance: Palestinian Culture Persists
Despite all this, Palestinians fight back through memory. Your museum article (“Palestine: A Fortress…”) shows how they digitize archives, rebuild galleries, curate oral histories, and annotate rubble with resilience. Bombs fell on cultural centers—37 museums and heritage sites were damaged or destroyed by early 2025. Yet archaeologists and artists continue documenting and preserving, investing in memory despite erasure attempts WikipediaFront page - US.
Their fight isn’t just physical survival—it’s cultural survival. And that’s why supporting Ra’s protests matters: she’s amplifying that cultural resilience through her protest art and presence.
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Art, Activism & Accountability in Institutions
Art institutions like the Biennale of Sydney wield public trust. When they empower ambassadors, they signal what voices are valued. Ra’s appointment felt like a statement of alignment with stories like Palestine’s—and that scared many who prefer “neutrality.” But neutrality often means silence for the powerful and abandonment for the oppressed.
As I mentioned, previous ambassadors supported boycotts of the Sydney Festival over ties to Israel. The artistic director, Hoor Al Qasimi, comes from a ruling family with vocal anti-Israel positions. The Biennale has become entangled in the politics of appointment, raising questions: Can an institution claim neutrality when its representatives carry political weight? Should it ostracize dissenting voices, or lean into advocacy?
I believe Ra’s stance should be commended, not censored. In times of atrocity, art must speak. And those who do should be given space—even if it’s uncomfortable for the establishment.
A Warrior’s Call: Art as Resistance and Trust
Warriors, here’s what this moment asks of us:
Stand with Palestine’s memory, not with erasure. Support work like I highlighted—museums rebuilding, archives digitizing, stories continuing.
Value art that challenges power, not art that comforts it. Ra’s protest art is divisive—but only because the world she resists has been violently unjust.
Demand accountability, not censorship. The Biennale must answer: why suppress or distance from voices that reflect the pain being inflicted? Shouldn’t art lift the truth, even when it burns?
Recognize that oppression repeats—Nazis destroyed Warsaw. The IDF is destroying Rafah. Art becomes our witness, our testimony.
This article isn’t about cheering for violence. It’s about demanding justice. The comparison between the IDF and Nazis isn’t hyperbole—it’s based on structural patterns: forced displacement, massive civilian death tolls (over 54,000 and climbing theguardian.comaljazeera.com), destruction of homes and heritage, and near-total immunity for those responsible—88% of alleged war crime cases closed without charges theguardian.com.
If Ra’s posts unsettle you, good. Let them. Because complacency is violence when cultures and lives vanish beneath bombs.
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