The News Minute | August 1, 2014 | 2.01 pm IST
Arguments and discussions have been raging on the social media about Gaza and Israel, cutting across class, religious divides, languages and nationalities.
Time magazine has published the stories of two photographers, one mainly covering the conflict literally from Gaza, and the other, literally from Israel. Oliver Weiken, a German photographer based in Tel Aviv, spent several days in Israel. Time Magazine quotes him as saying:
“During a more stable cease-fire on July 26, he captured a broader scene in Shejaiya that showed the full wrath of Israeli strikes, then took a step back. “Everybody who photographed this general view was simply astonished, put the camera down and stood there for a minute or two to see this destruction,” he recalls, “because it really looks almost apocalyptic.”
In the end, Weiken considers himself a documentarian. He goes out, photographs what he sees, then shows everyone else. “It is still, in many places in this world, about living or dying, and you need people who are there who can document that.” For his part, he’s not sure what will happen, or when. “I hope that this ends soon. But it’s already dragged out longer than I would have guessed.”
Andrew Burton, a Getty Images staff photojournalist, is based in New York. He was quoted as saying:
When Burton wasn’t shooting, he closely observed how Israelis behaved in war time: he was surprised to find a particular national mood that permeated all aspects of daily life in Israel. “I saw what you can expect to see when one country goes to war, which is a real national spirit,” he notes. “Many Israelis I met were very proud of protecting their homeland. There was a lot of symbolism, with many people flying Israeli flags on their cars, for example. That said, I also photographed multiple peace protests, where Israeli citizens strongly disagreed with their country’s actions and desired peace and reconciliation.”