The Stone Throwers
Christopher Anderson
Aurora / Cosmos
In October of 2000, I was sent to Israel by the New York Times Magazine to photograph a story about the stone throwers of Gaza with writer, Mike Finkel. We were asked to spend time with these kids who were “playing” war against the Israeli army. Before going, I didn’t really have a clear point of view about who were the good guys or the bad guys.
Nor did we have a mission to report the daily score. Rather, we went to spend time with the boys of Gaza to find out more about who they were, not who was right or wrong.
I came away being perhaps more confused then when I arrived.
Preview
Some may see these pictures and consider them pro-Palestinian propaganda. Others may see it as pro-Israeli propaganda. I’d like to think that they are just pictures of what I saw during my stay there.
At the time, the Israelis were saying that they were only using live ammunition in extreme cases or when fired upon. But I saw kids shot daily with live ammunition and not once did I see a Palestinian fire during any of these instances. At the same time, I questioned how Palestinians would let their children fight this conflict. True, the children are not sent to the front, but a powerful process of influence is clearly evident.
The entire situation was theater. Everything about it seemed like some sort of propaganda photo op. But I still am not sure whom these photo-ops benefit.
