Facebook Saga or why Mark Zuckerberg contacted Israeli artist Alex Levin
Alex Levin is an Ukrainian born ,Israeli artist who is name became the center of a FaceBook Saga in April 2014, Alex is a very popular and famous artist for his art collection of Jerusalem paintings, Judaism and Eretz Israel drawings that describing and depicting the landscapes and Historical places that are holly and important to Jews for the last 3000 years, a drawing of Wailing wall (Western wall) an old Jew in his praying moments, a couple of Jewish young Torah students, the views of Zfat or even modern days Tel Aviv Alex uses bright colors and oil on canvas technique in some of his artworks, the symbolism the emotions and historical semantics are loaded with positivity, brightness, optimism and hope for every Jew and non Jew art lover.
There is a fun base of nearly 40,000 strong followers on his FaceBook page, who are expressing their admiration and love to Alex Levin art creations, but also many anti-Semites and pro Palestinian groups who are claiming day and night that Alex Levin art creations are hurting their Muslim and “national feelings”. Alex Levin’s FB page was constantly under attack from such groups and did not spared their spewing airs and discriminating attitudes towards his work, towards him and Jews in general, but in today rapid changing and opinionated world that we live in, this reality became a new “norm” when everything Jewish, Israeli or Zionist is hurting the feelings of that anti-Semitic group or another, who are not sparing any efforts to discredit and delegitimize anything Jewish, Israeli or as they put it “anti Islamic” the power of many play the roll and as a result of thousands of anti-Semites clicking together against Alex Levin FB page. His page was shut down and removed by the FB administrators under the pretext that Alex Levin’s fan page sharing “Pornography content”.
Just think about it, drawings of Western wall, old city of Jerusalem, David City the beacon of Jews all around the world for 3300 years is pornography….!? Yes and the world is flat…..and religion of peace ruling. This FB action waked up an enormous wave of protest among the Alex Levin fun base and many others who came across to admire his art creations….Groups started to merge, letters and petitions uploaded, circulated again and again, people from Jewish communities close by and a far started to express their thoughts, feelings and actions was directed at FB administrators…
A fun base cry for Alex’s art, freedom of expression, freedom of art and everything in between rose to a size that even Alex Levin himself never believed, so strange and uplifting to know and learn that your work and your creations are not just another art drawings that his works and creations actually touched thousands of his FB page followers, that its matters! One realization leads to another petition was directed at Mr. Zuckerberg and behold the news….
Mr. Zuckerberg himself contacting Alex Levin, reassuring him of that grave mistake on behalf of FB administrators….that his Art page is restored and even that himself would love to see Alex’s art works in his office….as we say in Israel – Sof tov hakol tov!!! But it’s not just that! It is a great lesson for us, not just Jews and art lovers, to show us and teach us that whenever people are bind together and concentrate their efforts they are successful. I personally will not say that for that purpose only (petitioning FB to restore Alex Levin page), but also it is a personal lesson for me and a reminder….that there are many enemies out there, they are using everything possible to harm us (the Jews, Israelis and our friends) and they will do anything possible and unimaginable just to make us hurt, suffer, lose life, bleed, cry, regret etc. but there is nothing new in that also. Our nation knew many such efforts in our long history, nations rose came and gone. Babylonians, Assyrians, Romans, Greek, Ottomans, British and now Arabs. But they all gone with their attacks, prejudice and promises of destruction of our nation, be it in art, life, creations, science or any other aspect…but we prevailed, we thrived and we prosperous….and we a Live…..Am Israel Chay!!!!!!
Shlomi Yagur
New York
USA
