Zena El-Khalil (Lebanese, b. 1976)

"In the summer of 2006, the Israeli army dropped thousands of flyers all over Beirut. Some of them were warnings to civilians to evacuate their homes. Some were political caricatures. All were propaganda. They dropped hundreds of thousands of flyers that summer. They dropped bombs too. I was fascinated by the caricature drawings and found myself getting through that long hot summer by doodling on the flyers I was collecting from the abandoned parking lot every time I took my dog, Tapi, for her bathroom excursions. Maya's mom warned me that they could be laced with poison, but I took my chances nevertheless. You see, I really couldn't help it the paper they were printed on was pink.

Ou Ali Mama3ou Khabar is a Lebanese saying that literally means "And Ali Had Noooo Idea" Yes, it is cynical. Yes, so is the flyer I am obsessed with. I often find myself thinking about the person across the border who drew it. Did the uber intelligent Israeli propaganda machine think that an image like this would compel Lebanese to turn against Hassan Nasrallah? I wonder, in secret, if this flyer produced any converts."
Zena El-Khalil