The Eyes of the Nation
Michal Na’aman
1974
Image
After the Yom Kippur War (1973), it became increasingly common for Israeli artists to address political issues and criticize Israeli society. In 1974, Na’aman placed two signs on the Tel Aviv beach reading, in Hebrew, “The Eyes of the Nation,” a reference to the capture of Mount Hermon by Israel during the war. The mountain’s altitude and its location in the Golan Heights provided Israel with a new strategic early-warning system, leading it to be nicknamed “the eyes of the nation.” Facing west, toward the water, Na’aman’s signs implicitly questioned how the State of Israel defined its borders.
Credits
Collection of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Courtesy of the artist. Image courtesy of Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 10.
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