Anyone walking through the streets of Lisbon quickly sees that the Middle East conflict has left its marks here too: Graffiti and all sorts of scribbles. “Free Palestine” or “Viva Palestine” along with Palestinian flags adorn the city’s walls. But notably: These messages do not go unanswered. Time and again, the pro-Palestinian smears are overlaid with pro-Israeli tags—sometimes a Star of David, sometimes a crude penis as a mocking response to the anti-Israeli slogans. The graffiti tells from afar of a war that does not shape Portugal itself. For in everyday life, one encounters surprising openness, sympathy, and serenity toward Israelis. While the walls speak, the lives of Israelis who have emigrated to Portugal also tell stories of flight, new beginnings, and identity—a different color of graffiti.
One can debate whether the penis tag is crude or tasteful. But the real signal is unmistakable: Israelis or their friends abroad do not keep silent. They do not leave the anti-Israeli slogans and graffiti untouched but set their own marks. It is a quiet, rough exchange with the spray...
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