311: Palestine by Joe Sacco

Palestine by Joe Sacco

In the early 1990s cartoonist Joe Sacco visited Palestine intending to present the Palestinian side of the Israel/Palestine conflict. This book, an early example of the extended use of cartooning for journalistic purposes, doesn't attempt to be un-biased. While Sacco attempts to present the story fairly, he concedes that his presence influences the people he interviews, and that it would take another volume to present the Israeli side of the story. Regardless, this is a tremendous look at the life of ordinary Palestinians, made even more moving by Sacco's images of the destitution, poverty, and squalor of Palestine.

Why this is liberal/progressive?: The clash between Israel and Palestine is one of the most contentious and intractable in the world. In the United States it is rare to hear the Palestinian side of the story. For many progressives, this is a human-rights issue, and the unblinking support for Israel needs to be questioned.



Also be sure to check out: The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi