Palestinians and Israelis have flourished in friendship
even without the leadership of their governments...
(Jume 1998) The fashion industry is not usually associated with social or political conscience... Benetton is an exception.
Benetton
is known for its innovative advertising, where “issues not clothes”
play the lead role. Their slogan, United Colors of Benetton, appears
alongside multi-colored faces reflecting the rainbow of customers in
122 countries.
This year’s spring and summer catalog is a
brilliant photo essay documenting real-life Palestinians and Israelis
getting along together in friendship, and even love- historical enemies
working, living and playing together. On the cover, ENEMIES, is
super-imposed over a kissing couple. And all those pictured, over 180
adults and children, are wearing Benetton clothes (even if no one
notices).
Israeli writer, Abraham Yehoshua, co-writing the
introduction, expressed his disturbance at being “unable to distinguish
the Arab from the Jew in most of these photographs.” He adds, “I find
this so shocking because all my life I have been sure that it would be
a simple matter for me to recognize a member of my own nation and race.”
Benetton
marries Oliviero Toscani’s photographs to poignant vignettes detailing
the yearnings of people who are divided by politics, but united by the
daily, normal qualities of life. Sponsored by Newsweek, five million
copies of the 84 page catalog were distributed worldwide.
Presenting
a collection of smiles that Palestinians and Jews wear for each other
is bound to break down more stereotypes than just those we have of the
fashion industry... the grocer and his customer, the schoolchildren,
the sweethearts, the co-workers, the band members, roommates, students,
and neighbors...all getting along together.
Several
pointed to their friends and said, “I wish there were more Jews like
him,” or, “It would be great if all Arabs were like him.”...Well, here
you go!
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