Why is Hamas making cartoons?
Ten days ago, the military wing of Hamas released a CGI animation on YouTube. Narrated in Hebrew, it depicts an aged man named Naom Shalit walking through a desolate Israeli urban landscape. He is clutching a portrait of his son Gilad, who was kidnapped by Hamas while doing national service nearly four years ago and is still being held hostage. The cartoon’s message—that Shalit could have been freed in exchange for Hamas prisoners held by Israel—is typical drum-beating from Hamas. But putting it in a sophisticated medium amplified its effect. It was covered in the international media, and several versions on YouTube have accrued tens of thousands of views. Such was the attention that, a few days later, the political wing of Hamas were forced to publicly disown it. How does a cartoon have such an impact? Let us turn from Gaza to the civilised London bookseller Foyles. It now has a whole bookcase devoted to the political graphic novel. On it, you will find Waltz with Bashir and Persepoli
