The Belgian designer of “Cat” was the guest of franceinfo this Tuesday, November 14. He answered Salhia Brakhlia’s questions.
“This is a wonderful initiative“, a “bright idea so awaited“, greeted the Belgian cartoonist Philippe Geluck on franceinfo this Tuesday, while the world of culture calls for “a silent walk” Sunday in Paris to support peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
At the initiative of the Belgian actress Lubna Azabal, 500 personalities, including Isabelle Adjani, Pierre Arditi, Leïla Slimani and Michel Jonasz, will participate in a gathering “humanist” And “peaceful“. “It’s a march that will bring together all people of all origins, of all religious beliefs. We are human. Period!“, affirmed Philippe Geluck. The march will leave from the Institute of the Arab World and will head towards the Museum of Art and History of Judaism: “Dthem highly cultural and non-religious places“, underlines the designer.
franceinfo: Is this a response to those who criticize the silence of artists since the start of the war?
Philippe Geluck: Oh, no doubt! It’s a magnificent initiative from the Belgian actress Lubna Azabal who had this bright and long-awaited idea and which was undoubtedly a little late.
Is this a call for peace because you are tired of being asked to choose sides in this conflict?
Yes. Besides, I don’t choose. The statements go in all directions wherever they come from. If you express your empathy for the martyrdom of innocent Palestinians who are being bombed, you are told, “What, are you anti-Semitic?“. No, obviously! If you talk about the horror of October 7, someone will answer you: “So what ? In Gaza, for 50 years, what have they experienced? Isn’t he a martyr?“. The number of artist signatories continues to increase. I hope that there will be a lot of people on Sunday to express our indignation at this conflict, at these massacres of innocents.
This march will take place behind a single white banner, without political demands or slogans. Is it to avoid recoveries or other manipulations?
Of course, it is a march which will bring together all people of all origins, of all religious convictions. We are human. Final point. We are fed up, they want to separate us into clans, religions, nationalities. It is a very good idea to have a white banner and possibly white signs and to march in silence. The march will leave from the Arab World Institute and head towards the Museum of Art and History of Judaism, two highly cultural and non-religious places. This march reminds me of the White March which took place in Belgium and which brought together nearly 500,000 people to protest against the lack of effectiveness of justice in the face of the pedophile Dutroux and others. It was of immeasurable dignity and emotion.
Emmanuel Macron called for an end to the bombings which “kill women and children in Gaza without any justification or legitimacy”. Do you support this position?
He can’t do otherwise. What is happening is frightening. The paths to peace were not taken, were sabotaged by the Hamas attacks, but beyond that, the assassination of Rabin and the takeover of power by the far right in Israel. All of this is so complex that we can only call for appeasement, for dialogue, because that is the only thing that can work in the relationship between everyone.