Welcome to week three of the October 2010’s Readers Den. Here are some discussion questions:

• Joe Sacco wrote Palestine with the intention of showing the realities of the occupied territories and the affect on the Palestinians. According to David Thompson’s 2003 online review in The Observer, “a number of stridently Zionist web sites have perversely, accused Sacco of 'Jew-bashing' and his Seattle publisher receives the occasional piece of hate mail.” Do you think Sacco portrays Jews unfairly in his reporting of his experiences?
• Palestine has been praised by critics for presenting a good introduction for a complicated issue like the Middle East conflict. The cartoon images visually engage readers and Sacco often uses humor to lighten the mood and get his point across. Does the comic book medium appeal to you and make you to want to learn more on the subject matter? Or, do you think the journalist’s use of caricatures minimizes the seriousness of the issue?
• Overall, do you feel the comic book effectively captures the voice of the Palestinian people?