Dutch Web site puts message on fence - Haaretz

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Fri., December 14, 2007 Tevet 5, 5768

Israel Time: 02:38 (EST+7)

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Dutch Web site puts message on fence

By Cnaan Liphshiz

Tags: Separation fence

Strange graffiti is invading the eastern face of the Separation Fence. The young Palestinians who are spraying the foreign-looking writings on the wall can't always read their handiwork, which probably seems like double Dutch to many passersby. But 30 euros per slogan make it worth the effort, all the same.

The graffiti slogans, which appear in several different languages, are products of Sendamessage. The Dutch-Palestinian initiative was formally launched on Sunday in protest of the barrier Israel is erecting along the West Bank.

The idea, sired by a team of advertisers from the Netherland who visited Ramallah last Spring, allows Internet users to put a personal message on the wall through the project's Web site - www.sendamessage.nl. Customers pay online, type their communique and send. The dozen-odd Palestinian "wallwriters" do the rest.

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During the project's experimental phase, the wall has seen marriage proposals in Dutch ("Arthur, will you marry me? Kisses, Nathalie") as well as English-language political slogans.

"We've received dozens of orders," the site's operator and concept designer, Justus van Oel, says. One woman, van Oel recalls, left a message for Tareq - a long-lost ex-boyfriend. Another couple wanted their wedding date on the wall.

"Anything goes, if it's not offensive," van Oel says. The wallwriters always take pictures of their creations, and send three digital photographs to each client.

The idea evolved during two workshops by advertising creatives from the Palo-Dutch Concept Factory from the Palo-Dutch Concept Factory, who had come to Ramallah to coach young Palestinians in creative campaigning and public relations. High on the agenda was the need to raise awareness to how the barrier - which the state credits with keeping would-be terrorists at bay - was affecting life in the West Bank.

The project's Palestinian coordinator, Faris Arouri, says the work is usually done by teams of three student volunteers. One does the spraying, another takes pictures and the third makes sure the slogan meets the client's specifications. Van Oel also gives the teams an English translation of Dutch slogans, so they know that they're writing.

According to Faris, passersby often stop and watch the teams spray what must seem to them like double Dutch. "People laugh when we explain," Faris says. Most, he adds, are amazed at the price tag.

Indeed, the project's Palestinian partners were hesitant to charge the equivalent of triple the average Palestinian daily wage. "We told the Dutch organizers it was overpriced, but they insisted it'd help market it as an exclusive and precious gift," Faris told Anglo File.

To settle the issue, Sendamessage's wallwriters - mostly well-educated students aged 19 to 25 - called friends in Europe to ask about pricing their inexhaustible commodity. "No one said it was cheap, but they said it was fair for this unique service," Faris says.

Part of the money stays in Holland "to cover the minimal costs," says van Oel, who works as a scenario writer and communications consultant. The bulk of profits go to Palestinian non-governmental charities, he says. "All recipients are linked to the network of ICCO, a large Dutch-Christian non-profit, which only accepts legal organizations."

Asked whether the money could go to educational projects which could be seen as hateful to Israelis and Jews, van Oel said: "I don't have an intelligence service there. It's about trust, and I do trust the people involved in this project."

Currently, Sendamessage has two Palestinian teams, one in Abu Dis and another in Ramallah. If demand increases, Faris says they will branch out to the Bethlehem area and northern Samaria. "We want to reach the Israeli public and cooperate with Israeli activists, maybe from the other side of the wall. After all, it's a problem for both peoples," Faris says.

To ensure no hateful content ends up on the wall, van Oel reviews all slogans. "Payment is in advance and defamers get no refunds," van Oel says. "I'm hoping it'll keep them away."

Van Oel says the project is aimed to send a single, simple message: "Palestinians are human beings, just like anyone, with a sense of humor and a lust for life."

Safety, van Oel concedes, is an apropos cause for concern. Palestinian police advise against interfering with the wall for security reasons, and the Israel Defense Forces troops on the other side will shoot at anyone trying to cross over.

"Some areas are more dangerous than others," Faris says. "We choose the least dangerous spots, where the wall is already built. We never go near settlements. In the territories, we are always at some risk from Israeli violence, whether we're near the wall or not."

Van Oel says he trusts the wallwriters know what they're doing. "They know where it's safe to go. I know these guys. They'd never try silly stuff like climbing the wall to put a slogan higher up or anything." Jokingly, he adds: "And if any of them does, they'll have me to worry about - never mind the IDF."

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