What Is This Called Cultural Exchange

Text and photos by Chen Chi-Hsiang. Yesterday, Paris Beach invited Tel Aviv Beach City to participate in Paris’s beach events as this year’s cultural exchange between Paris and Tel Aviv, under the theme “Tel Aviv on the Seine.” It disrupted the usual vacation atmosphere of Paris Beach; it felt like facing a great enemy. Naturally, there was a long queue at the entrance, with strict security, police everywhere, and horse-mounted units. Media reports stated that over 500 riot police from more than 500 towns were deployed to maintain safety. Entering or exiting the beach required not only inspections but also body searches. It is hard to imagine such measures for what is supposedly a friendly cultural exchange between two cities.

The invitation of Israel and the event titled “Tel Aviv on the Seine” sparked widespread debate, inevitably tied to Arab-Israeli political issues. A leisurely exchange on the beach became a site of political confrontation, with Israel on one side and Palestine on the other, “Seine Gaza My Love,” challenging each other. On the Palestinian side, the atmosphere was approachable and relaxed, without heavy police presence, no barricades isolating the bridge or shore, allowing people to directly see demonstrators and hear their political statements. On the other side, however, a large number of police and riot officers maintained security, using barricades to isolate the shore. The bridge was blocked, buses could not stop, and massive police forces protected Israelis as if facing a major threat, seemingly even preventing birds from flying across. In this country known for free movement, it became a restricted zone, which is hard to imagine and quite ironic.

The “Tel Aviv on the Seine” event not only prevented seeing the scene but also hearing any music or laughter; it became an “audio-free zone,” isolated from the world like a lonely island (though people could enter and exit through multiple security checkpoints). What game was being played, so mysterious? Comparing “Tel Aviv on the Seine” with the Palestinian side’s “Seine Gaza My Love,” there seems to be an unspoken reason. Seeing this ironic scene and reflecting further, I ask: what is this called cultural exchange? It leaves me utterly shocked.