Documentary Binge (1 of ?): Israel, Palestine, the Middle East, and the U.S.
I realize this is a touch ... massive, but I'm posting everything here that I've watched or plan to watch. With the crisis in Gaza currently flaring up, I figured it'd be better to go ahead and post this while I'm still in the research process. If you're interested in this conflict at all, hopefully the descriptions will help ya pick one or two that you're most interested in. If you have suggestions about additional videos I should watch to get a full picture, or if you have a response to anything I've linked to here, I welcome your thoughts.
Here we go ...
ISRAEL VS. PALESTINE: HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Palestine-Israel 101 (FreeDocumentaries.org) -- A bit cheesetastic in the way that grade school educational videos often are, but very helpful in explaining the basics of the conflict. The second half of the video presents some fascinating statistics, as well as the details of the proposed two-state solution. (The three minute summary at the top of the page is not the whole video, which is just over 30 minutes long.) If you are unfamiliar with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, you should watch this video before any others below.
Drunken Politics: Interview 1 (BreakThruRadio.com) -- This episode, Jamie and Allison interview Remi Kanazi, a Palestinian poet and political activist. It starts at 26:30 and is extremely informative.
Drunken Politics: Interview 2 (BreakThruRadio.com) -- Part two of their interview with a Palestinian poet and political activist, Remi Kanazi. I still need to listen to this one so I'm not sure at what minute the interview starts.
If you're interested in more details, there are two chapters on Israel in The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Conflicts. It covers even more of the region's history as well as the organizations and world leaders involved in the conflict (such as the Camp David Accords in 1977 that ended violence between Egypt and Israel; the Oslo Accords in 1993 that, for a time, reduced Arab-Israeli violence; and the collapsed peace talks at the Camp David Summit in 2000).
Also helpful are resources found through the website of The American Task Force on Palestine. They also, of course, have extensive resources pertaining to America's official position.
History of a Conflict (Part One: Zionism to Partition, YouTube; Part Two: Conquest and Reprisal, YouTube; Part Three: Six Day War to Peace Process, YouTube) -- Unlike most summaries, I recommend saving this series by Charles Smith, historian and author of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, until last because it's a bit dry and, unless you're already familiar with the conflict, the information is confusing anyway. It's basically just Smith talking in half hour chunks with the occasional photograph to illustrate his points. He does, however, cover quite a few details not brought up by the other videos I've watched.
THE OCCUPATION
The Iron Wall (Bodocus.com -- (Geo)Politics -- Middle Eastern Issues -- Israeli-Palestinian Issue (Google Video)) -- This documentary details the occupation of the West Bank, Ariel Sharon's encouragement of Jewish settlements there, the roads linking the Jewish settlements which Palestinians are forbidden to use, and the construction of the wall (which they argue is also designed to cut Palestinians off from each other, since it gerrymanders it's way through the land so much that it is twice as long as the border between the main of Israel and the West Bank. The idea, this video argues, is to annex as much of Palestinian land as possible).
Occupation 101 (MoviesFoundOnline.com) -- Strongly favoring the Palestinian point of view, the documentary is concerned with the current state of the Palestinians as well as the historical origins of the conflict (beginning with the Balfour Declaration of 1917).
ISRAEL AND U.S. POLITICS
The Israeli Lobby (FreeDocumentaries.org) (FilmTalks.net) -- This work focuses on two arguments: 1) Nobody in congress can criticize Israel and survive politically. 2) Nobody in politics can talk about the fact that nobody talks about Israel critically. (Sort of a "you cannot talk about Fight Club" type of deal.) It doesn't go into the history or current politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but is an interesting, seemingly even-handed starting point for understanding the Israeli Lobby's influence on American politics.
Bill Moyers Journal: Christians United for Israel (PBS) -- If you kept up with election politics at all, you'll recognize the head of this evangelical/fundamentalist/end times believing activist group. They don't believe in a two state solution (which U.S. policy supports), don't believe Israel should give up any of the occupied territories, and advocate a preemptive strike against Iran. I'm not sure how much direct influence they have, but they certainly work their hardest to be a political force in America.
Bill Moyers Journal: Update -- Lobbies' Role in Middle East Peace (PBS) -- A short statement by Israel Policy Forum analyst M.J. Rosenberg emphasizes that activists who condemn the two-state solution also condemn Israel to continual war.
ISRAEL, PALESTINE, AND THE MEDIA
Pallywood: According to Palestinian Sources ... (MoviesFoundOnline.com) -- A twenty minute clip arguing that many scenes supposedly of Palestinians being cruelly attacked by Israelis were actually staged by the Palestinians themselves in order to win sympathy for their cause. More raw footage than was shown on various news networks are shown to support this, as well as clips of Palestinian men and women supposedly planning what they're going to say before official filming (though I don't speak the language, so I have no idea if their translation is accurate). Why they would film themselves preparing for a blatantly staged event I also have no idea.
Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land (MoviesFoundOnline.com) (FilmTalks.net) -- A strongly pro-Palestinian critique of the occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, and of the American media's coverage of the conflict. (It should be pointed out that in 2005 Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, had the Israeli colonists leave the Gaza strip. It was a concession hinting at real compromise to come. Gaza, unfortunately, is where Israel is now sending ground troops, so peace is still a distant hope.)
ISRAEL & IRAN
Will Israel Bomb Iran? (JohnLocker.com) -- A British documentary that asks: With Israel defending itself against terrorist attacks from many of its neighbors and the president of Iran (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) openly declaring it should be wiped off the planet and out of history, how likely is it that Israel will launch and preemptive strike against Iran? This documentary argues from the position of Israelis, who fear for their very existence.
Israel's Secret Weapon (MoviesFoundOnline.com) -- An early British documentary about Israel developing nuclear weapons, Mordechai Vanunu telling the press about it, his subsequent kidnapping and imprisonment, the American couple who adopted him, and Israel's official stance of "nuclear ambiguity."
UNSORTED
Myths & Facts Online: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Jewish Virtual Library) -- Probably the most to-the-point defense of Israel I've come across so far. They've organized their "myths and facts" by category, making it easy to locate the Israeli side of many questions concerning the conflict.
No One Ever Wins (Official Homepage) -- A lone reporter interviews families in Lebanon after an attack by Israel (which was a response to an attack on them by Hezbollah). I found a copy of this video online (FactualTV.com) but it was frustrating to watch; the sound and pictures jumped so much it was like watching a stop-motion film, and the pictures kept trailing further out of sync with the words anyway. It'd be best to find this one, if possible, at a library or movie rental place.
STILL TO WATCH
I'll add my thoughts about the videos (and a few writings) below once I watch them, but would like others' opinions on them as well. As you can tell, it has been easier for me to find video sympathizing with the Palestinians rather than the Israelis, but I'm trying to be as fair as I can.
Pro-Israeli:
Obsession (Official Homepage)
Mark Humphry's Pro-Israeli Page (MarkHumphrys.com)
Pro-Palestinian:
Six Day War (JohnLocker.com)
Obsession with Hate (Official Homepage) (A Response to "Obsession" the movie.)
The American Muslim's response to "Obsession" (TheAmericanMuslim.org)
More Criticism of Obsession (AltMuslim.com)
Neutral:
Promises (Official Homepage) (Interviews with Palestinian and Israeli children about the conflict. This is the official website. If I can find the movie online I'll add a link here.)
Interview with the people who made "Promises" (KeaProductionsDV.com)
Unknown:
Mossad's Revenge (Bodocus.com -- (Geo)Politics -- Middle Eastern Issues -- Israel) (Google Video))
Palestine is Still the Issue (Bodocus.com -- (Geo)Politics -- Middle Eastern Issues -- Israeli-Palestinian Issue)
More from PBS:
Islam Round Table (PBS) -- Bill Moyers, Fareed Zakaria, and others discuss Islam and 9/11.
Here we go ...
ISRAEL VS. PALESTINE: HISTORY AND CONTEXT
Palestine-Israel 101 (FreeDocumentaries.org) -- A bit cheesetastic in the way that grade school educational videos often are, but very helpful in explaining the basics of the conflict. The second half of the video presents some fascinating statistics, as well as the details of the proposed two-state solution. (The three minute summary at the top of the page is not the whole video, which is just over 30 minutes long.) If you are unfamiliar with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, you should watch this video before any others below.
Drunken Politics: Interview 1 (BreakThruRadio.com) -- This episode, Jamie and Allison interview Remi Kanazi, a Palestinian poet and political activist. It starts at 26:30 and is extremely informative.
Drunken Politics: Interview 2 (BreakThruRadio.com) -- Part two of their interview with a Palestinian poet and political activist, Remi Kanazi. I still need to listen to this one so I'm not sure at what minute the interview starts.
If you're interested in more details, there are two chapters on Israel in The Complete Idiot's Guide to World Conflicts. It covers even more of the region's history as well as the organizations and world leaders involved in the conflict (such as the Camp David Accords in 1977 that ended violence between Egypt and Israel; the Oslo Accords in 1993 that, for a time, reduced Arab-Israeli violence; and the collapsed peace talks at the Camp David Summit in 2000).
Also helpful are resources found through the website of The American Task Force on Palestine. They also, of course, have extensive resources pertaining to America's official position.
History of a Conflict (Part One: Zionism to Partition, YouTube; Part Two: Conquest and Reprisal, YouTube; Part Three: Six Day War to Peace Process, YouTube) -- Unlike most summaries, I recommend saving this series by Charles Smith, historian and author of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, until last because it's a bit dry and, unless you're already familiar with the conflict, the information is confusing anyway. It's basically just Smith talking in half hour chunks with the occasional photograph to illustrate his points. He does, however, cover quite a few details not brought up by the other videos I've watched.
THE OCCUPATION
The Iron Wall (Bodocus.com -- (Geo)Politics -- Middle Eastern Issues -- Israeli-Palestinian Issue (Google Video)) -- This documentary details the occupation of the West Bank, Ariel Sharon's encouragement of Jewish settlements there, the roads linking the Jewish settlements which Palestinians are forbidden to use, and the construction of the wall (which they argue is also designed to cut Palestinians off from each other, since it gerrymanders it's way through the land so much that it is twice as long as the border between the main of Israel and the West Bank. The idea, this video argues, is to annex as much of Palestinian land as possible).
Occupation 101 (MoviesFoundOnline.com) -- Strongly favoring the Palestinian point of view, the documentary is concerned with the current state of the Palestinians as well as the historical origins of the conflict (beginning with the Balfour Declaration of 1917).
ISRAEL AND U.S. POLITICS
The Israeli Lobby (FreeDocumentaries.org) (FilmTalks.net) -- This work focuses on two arguments: 1) Nobody in congress can criticize Israel and survive politically. 2) Nobody in politics can talk about the fact that nobody talks about Israel critically. (Sort of a "you cannot talk about Fight Club" type of deal.) It doesn't go into the history or current politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but is an interesting, seemingly even-handed starting point for understanding the Israeli Lobby's influence on American politics.
Bill Moyers Journal: Christians United for Israel (PBS) -- If you kept up with election politics at all, you'll recognize the head of this evangelical/fundamentalist/end times believing activist group. They don't believe in a two state solution (which U.S. policy supports), don't believe Israel should give up any of the occupied territories, and advocate a preemptive strike against Iran. I'm not sure how much direct influence they have, but they certainly work their hardest to be a political force in America.
Bill Moyers Journal: Update -- Lobbies' Role in Middle East Peace (PBS) -- A short statement by Israel Policy Forum analyst M.J. Rosenberg emphasizes that activists who condemn the two-state solution also condemn Israel to continual war.
ISRAEL, PALESTINE, AND THE MEDIA
Pallywood: According to Palestinian Sources ... (MoviesFoundOnline.com) -- A twenty minute clip arguing that many scenes supposedly of Palestinians being cruelly attacked by Israelis were actually staged by the Palestinians themselves in order to win sympathy for their cause. More raw footage than was shown on various news networks are shown to support this, as well as clips of Palestinian men and women supposedly planning what they're going to say before official filming (though I don't speak the language, so I have no idea if their translation is accurate). Why they would film themselves preparing for a blatantly staged event I also have no idea.
Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land (MoviesFoundOnline.com) (FilmTalks.net) -- A strongly pro-Palestinian critique of the occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, and of the American media's coverage of the conflict. (It should be pointed out that in 2005 Ariel Sharon, the Israeli Prime Minister, had the Israeli colonists leave the Gaza strip. It was a concession hinting at real compromise to come. Gaza, unfortunately, is where Israel is now sending ground troops, so peace is still a distant hope.)
ISRAEL & IRAN
Will Israel Bomb Iran? (JohnLocker.com) -- A British documentary that asks: With Israel defending itself against terrorist attacks from many of its neighbors and the president of Iran (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) openly declaring it should be wiped off the planet and out of history, how likely is it that Israel will launch and preemptive strike against Iran? This documentary argues from the position of Israelis, who fear for their very existence.
Israel's Secret Weapon (MoviesFoundOnline.com) -- An early British documentary about Israel developing nuclear weapons, Mordechai Vanunu telling the press about it, his subsequent kidnapping and imprisonment, the American couple who adopted him, and Israel's official stance of "nuclear ambiguity."
UNSORTED
Myths & Facts Online: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Jewish Virtual Library) -- Probably the most to-the-point defense of Israel I've come across so far. They've organized their "myths and facts" by category, making it easy to locate the Israeli side of many questions concerning the conflict.
No One Ever Wins (Official Homepage) -- A lone reporter interviews families in Lebanon after an attack by Israel (which was a response to an attack on them by Hezbollah). I found a copy of this video online (FactualTV.com) but it was frustrating to watch; the sound and pictures jumped so much it was like watching a stop-motion film, and the pictures kept trailing further out of sync with the words anyway. It'd be best to find this one, if possible, at a library or movie rental place.
STILL TO WATCH
I'll add my thoughts about the videos (and a few writings) below once I watch them, but would like others' opinions on them as well. As you can tell, it has been easier for me to find video sympathizing with the Palestinians rather than the Israelis, but I'm trying to be as fair as I can.
Pro-Israeli:
Obsession (Official Homepage)
Mark Humphry's Pro-Israeli Page (MarkHumphrys.com)
Pro-Palestinian:
Six Day War (JohnLocker.com)
Obsession with Hate (Official Homepage) (A Response to "Obsession" the movie.)
The American Muslim's response to "Obsession" (TheAmericanMuslim.org)
More Criticism of Obsession (AltMuslim.com)
Neutral:
Promises (Official Homepage) (Interviews with Palestinian and Israeli children about the conflict. This is the official website. If I can find the movie online I'll add a link here.)
Interview with the people who made "Promises" (KeaProductionsDV.com)
Unknown:
Mossad's Revenge (Bodocus.com -- (Geo)Politics -- Middle Eastern Issues -- Israel) (Google Video))
Palestine is Still the Issue (Bodocus.com -- (Geo)Politics -- Middle Eastern Issues -- Israeli-Palestinian Issue)
More from PBS:
Islam Round Table (PBS) -- Bill Moyers, Fareed Zakaria, and others discuss Islam and 9/11.