Youth Graffiti as an Existential Coping Device: The Case of Rabin's Assassination

Abstract

The research explores the symbolic meanings of the graffiti drawn by Israeli adolescents and youth on the walls around Rabin Square in Tel-Aviv, named after the Israeli Prime Minister, Izhak Rabin, and following his assassination in the same square. The assassination occurred during a period in which Israeli society was characterized by feelings of anomie and crisis due to intensified social and political conflicts. The image constructed and conveyed by the graffiti is that of an eclectic leader; and that image is also the reflection of the cultural characteristics emerging from the liminal situation of youth in Israeli society. In the discourse carried on by means of walls, the main trend is the attempt to combine polar and/or diverse characteristics, in a holistic manner. Three spheres of liminality are discussed: liminality of the leader, liminality of youth, and liminality of Israeli society. The discussion is carried out in the context of the existential situation of youth in Israel.