‘Sesame Street’ Goes to Palestine
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
The American administration is about to jump-start peace talks aimed at the creation of a Palestinian state in the framework of the two-state solution, but it seems that the “Sesame Street” star Grover is way ahead of the game — he’s already visited Palestine.
In a segment now on the “Sesame Street” website, Grover and an Egyptian friend find themselves “going on an adventure to visit our friends from around the world.” In the clip, Grover says, “We’re off to Palestine.” Following, a Palestinian girl is shown receiving a gift from her grandmother.
Predictably, the settler-run news site Israel National News let rip about the fact that “Sesame Street” has referred to what it deems “a nonexistent state whose formation was agreed to by Netanyahu, but that many Israelis feel cannot be established without putting Israel’s existence into danger.”
The Israel National News piece continued:
PA [Palestinian Authority] officials have threatened to declare a state whether there is a peace agreement or not, but Israel will not recognize it without one. However, it seems that someone on the writing staff never heard of Israel — or Jordan for that matter — two places where the story might , actually must, have been filmed. Perhaps whoever wrote those lines feels that if something is repeated often enough, such as the existence of a place called Palestine, it will be believed. Perhaps there is a PA activist on the writing staff.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
