Videos (updated 8-12!)
There is so much material circulating about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that it is almost impossible for a casual observer to wade through it all. Palestine Monitor has decided to try and make this easier by finding, viewing and making available documentaries, lectures, debates and interviews which will help our readers make sense of events on the ground.
Stay tuned to Palestine Monitor for updates, tell your friends and enjoy…
Click on bold movie’s title to watch prevous selections
Stay tuned to Palestine Monitor for updates, tell your friends and enjoy…
Gaza 2009: We Will Never Forget
Chomsky on Gaza
Noam Chomsky January 13, 2009
Gaza kids eye kite-flying world record - 30 July 09
Thousands of Palestinian children have gathered in the Gaza Strip in an attempt to break the world record on the number of kites flown at the same time, in the same place.
Thursday’s event was part of a UN initiative organised to restore hope and normality to the war-torn territory.
Al Jazeera’s Ayman Mohyeldin reports.
Gaza’s War Crimes - Israel/Palestine
This powerful report looks at the alleged Israeli war crimes committed during the Gaza War.
I. Focus
1. The Israel Lobby
’The Israel lobby - The influence of AIPAC on US Foreign Policy’
This documentary (April 2007) was created as a result of the controversy created by Mearsheimer and Walt’s "The Israel Lobby" article.
The Doha Debates: the Pro-Israel Lobby
At the latest Doha Debate held at the prestigious Oxford Union in the United Kingdom on May 1st, two-thirds of the student audience approved a motion claiming that Israel’s supporters are stifling Western debate about Israel’s actions. The event at the world famous debating society of Oxford University marked the first time the Doha Debates have been held outside Qatar. The Debate took place amid mounting controversy over the role of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States and accusations that it has suppressed criticism of Israel - a charge that the lobby vigorously denies.
2. Remembering Rachel Corrie
A collection of thoughts and videos about the American peace activist, Rachael Corrie, who was slain by the Israeli military as she protected the home of a Palestinian family.
As an American peace activist recovers from another brutal assault by the IDF, the six year anniversary of another such activist is occurring, that of Rachael Corrie. Rachael was murdered by the Israeli army for refusing to budge whilst they demolished the home of the family with who she was staying.
The Israeli army ignored her pleas, and instead continued advancing their bulldozers toward the home. Rachael stood firm…until the machines over ran her completely tearing her near apart. Soon after she was dead.
This holy land has seen many martyrs, but few have had the impact of this young woman whose death was such a shock to us all. Today though, we will focus on her life, and the deeds by which she inspired millions.
Palestine Monitor has found several videos about Rachael to share with our readers. It is our hope that our readers will continue to share this story with everyone they know.
Rachel: An American Conscience
Yahya Barakat, who teaches at Al-Quds University, told The Washington Report that he began work on the documentary the instant he learned that Corrie had been crushed to death by an Israeli-driven Caterpillar bulldozer. This documentary offers rare footage of Rachel talking to a camera and describing Israeli human rights violations against a Palestinian civilian population.
Dateline reports on the play, "My Name is Rachel Corrie", as it tours Australia. Amos Roberts interweaves clips from Rachel’s life, interviews with her parents and director, Shannon Murphy.
Rachel Corrie: The Girl with DREAMS
An extended documentary about her life and the events surrounding her death.
The City Circle Presents My Name is Rachel Corrie
Katharine Viner is the Guardian’s features editor and co-editor of My Name Is Rachel Corrie, a play based on the writings of Rachel Corrie, the American activist killed by a bulldozer in Gaza in 2003 whilst protecting Palestinian homes from being demolished.
3. Instants from the Viva Gaza Convoy, March 09
MP Galloway’s speech at a Gaza solidarity protest during the massacre in Gaza.
GEORGE GALLOWAY VIVA PALESTINA GAZA CONVOY, 14 February 2009
MP Galloway speaking during the convoy’s journey.
George Galloway’s first speech from inside Gaza
MP Galloway’s triumphant speech upon entering the Gaza Strip on March 9th, 2009.
II. Lectures, Interviews and Debates
Noam Chomsky on the Gaza Massacre
While he admits to no surprise about events in Gaza, Noam Chomsky does consider “the latest U.S.-Israeli attack on helpless Palestinians” a step beyond terrorism and aggression. He says “some new term is needed for the sadistic and cowardly torture of people caged with no possibility of escape, being pounded daily by the most sophisticated products of U.S. military technology.”
2007 Lecture by Rashid Khalidi
Columbia University Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies, Rashid Khalidi’s keynote address at the "Palestine: 40 Years of Occupation, 60 Years of Dispossession" conference in Portland, Oregon, on June 23, 2007.
1. Dr. Barghouthi on Gaza
As the bombs fell upon the besieged Gaza Strip like rain, Dr Mustafa Barghouthi, Deputy Director of the Palestinian National Initiative, was invited to speak to a number of news outlets to give the ‘Palestinian side’ of the story.
Israel’s media and public relations campaign throughout the war had been as meticulously planned as the military operation itself. Israel had composed a narrative of events and a campaign by which to place this narrative at the forefront of the international community’s collective mind.
Palestine has chosen to replay some of the Dr’s interviews throughout the war in hopes of once more challenging the perceptions of what happened and why.
Amidst worldwide protests, Israel continued its bombing campaign against Gaza for the third consecutive day and prepared for the eventual ground invasion. Following months of a crippling blockade, this has been described as one of Israel’s bloodiest attacks on Palestinians since 1948. Democracy NOW! speaks to Dr. Moussa El-Haddad and Fida Qishta in Gaza, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti in Ramallah, Gideon Levy in Tel Aviv and Ali Abunimah in the US. (The interview is approximately 30 minutes)
GPS with Fareed Zakaria: Israeli Election Debate
CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria hosts a panel of Israeli and Palestinian pundits to discuss the upcoming Israeli elections amidst the ongoing bombing - by land, sea and air - of the Gaza Strip. (The discussion is approximately 15 minutes)
2. Debates with Professor Norman Filkenstein
Center for American Progress - American Involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Walter Russell Mead discussed his new article about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Foreign Affairs, "Change They Can Believe In," with Daniel Levy. Steve Clemons moderated. This event at the New America Foundation was titled "A Pro-Israel Approach that Delivers on Palestine."
This debate, on the American alternative news network, Democracy Now!, features Professor Norman Finkelstein squaring off against the staunch defender of Israel, Professor Alan Dershowitz. (each part is approximately one hour)
Professor Finkelstein on C-Span
Speaking on his book, the Holocaust Industry, at the Art Institute of Chicago, Dr Finkelstein takes CSPAN viewers on a rare journey into understanding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The video is approximately 2 hours.
Professor Finkelstein lectures at Yale University
A one hour lecture about image and reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict given in 2007 – there is more available from this event online for interested viewers.
Norman Finkelstein debates Wolf Blitzer – November 1989
In this rather old debate, Norman Finkelstein squares off against former AIPAC spokesman, and current chief anchor of the CNN news network, Wolf Blitzer. The debate is 55 minutes long.
3. Lectures by Professor Edward Said
Lecture : The Myth of the Clash of Civilizations
Dr Said deconstructs the myths behind Dr Samuel Huntington’s 1993 thesis, ‘The Clash of Civilizations’. It is an excellent lecture for anyone interested in better understanding the Dr’s masterpiece, ‘Orientalism’, and how it runs up against mainstream theories of race, culture and political exchange. (approximately one hour)
Lecture: Culture and Imperialism
Lecture based on Dr Said’s work, Orientalism, which shows how racism and culture underlie the colonialisms of the past and present.
Memory, Inequality and Power: Palestine and the Universality of Human Rights
Dr Said’s hour and a half lecture at the University of California Berkeley. Stressing the role of collective memory in the survival of Palestinian people in the diaspora, Said argues for acknowledging the rights of the Palestinians as a people, since human rights are universal.
III. Documentaries
Go behind the scenes of media coverage of the West Bank and enter a world where terror is a daily reality. Against the backdrop of this politically tumultuous environment there emerges a deeply layered story of a nation fractured by walls both physical and internalized. Professor of Psychology Khalil Issa discusses the existential dilemmas faced by Palestinian youth as they attempt to develop a sense of self in a land carved by war. The story climaxes as rare footage takes the viewer amidst the chaos of a military incursion. The ending analysis is both surprising and thought provoking as interview subjects grapple to maintain a sense of hope.
This is the story of Ahmeds heart. Ahmed was a Palestinian boy who lived in Jenin in the West Bank. In November, 2005, the 12-year old Ahmed was shot by an Israeli sniper. Ahmeds parents decided to donate their sons heart to Israel. The film is also about Samah, the Israeli girl who now lives with Ahmeds heart. Ahmeds parents says that the donation was made in the spirit of Salam (peace) with Israel and that their son lives on through this girl. A gift can transform and drill a hole in the wall, when there is someone on the other side willing to receive that gift.
John Pilger details the war in Palestine through interviews of Palestinian and Israelis. It details the progress of peace and the strategies and policies at work on both sides of the issue. The documentary was published in 2002, but is still relevant today. It is approximately 1 hour.
Jenin Jenin, directed and co-produced by Palestinian actor and director Mohamed Bakri, includes testimony from Jenin residents after the Israeli army’s Defensive Wall operation, during which the city and camp were the scenes of fierce fighting. The operation ended with Jenin flattened and scores of Palestinians dead. In the wake of the destruction in Gaza, Palestine Monitor reminds you: This is not the first time massacres have taken place.
Digging for Trouble: Settlers and Archaeology
Are Israeli settlers taking control of archaeological digs to manipulate history and consolidate claims to Palestinian land? Some Israeli archaeologists are starting to speak out.
A one-hour film by Ed Hill based on a two-week visit to Palestine by a group of international peace activists in autumn 2005. The film aims to present a concise understanding of the history, politics and culture of Palestine. It dramatically explains the construction of the Separation Wall, the checkpoints, the apartheid system of passes, separate road networks, the continual Israeli military oppression and creeping ethnic cleansing, together with the spirited culture and resistance of a brave people.
A brief documentary exploring the recent bloody history of the Jenin Refugee Camp, and one Palestinian theater’s efforts to restore normalcy, hope courage.
Unreported World - Israels Wild West
A half-hour documentary exploring Israel’s actions in the West Bank, including their brutal treatment of nonviolent protesters.
This brilliant, one-hour documentary by Palestinian director Mohammed Alatar explores the multiple physical and psychological layers that constitute the occupation of Palestine. The movies title was coined by one of the late forefathers of the Zionist movement, Vladimir Jabotinsky.
Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land
A 79 minute documentary released in 2004 by Sut Jhally and Bathsheba Ratzkoff which "provides a striking comparison of U.S. and international media coverage of the crisis in the Middle East, zeroing in on how structural distortions in U.S. coverage have reinforced false perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
A beautiful documentary crafted by Israeli citizen Julian Merr Khamis about the work of his mother Arna in the West Bank during the Intifada. Juliano, who continues the work of the Freedom Theatre today in the Jenin Refugee Camp, takes us on a journey through the tragic lives of the young men and women they work with. The video is approximately 80 minutes long and is a must-see for anyone interested in learning about the consequences of occupation on the lives of children.
IV. Off the Wires news
Cut to pieces: the Palestinian family drinking tea in their courtyard
Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles – the dreaded drones – caused at least 48 deaths in Gaza during the 23-day offensive
Palestinian brothers: used as human shields in Gaza
Three teenage boys say they were made to kneel in front of tanks to deter Hamas attacks
Israeli T-shirts mock Gaza killings
The Israeli military has condemned the t-shirts worn by soldiers as "unacceptable," which depict the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. The shirts came into fashion following disclosures that soldiers who took part in Israel’s military offensive in Gaza complained about rules of engagement allowing them to kill civilians and destroy property.
March 22nd, Changing the face of East Jerusalem - Al Jazeera
Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, has made a stand on an emotive issue for both Israelis and Palestinian Arabs - what does and does not get built in East Jerusalem.
Clinton told her audience on Wednesday in the West Bank, that a plan to destroy Arab homes and build Jewish ones in their place was "unhelpful" and liable to breach the ’road map’ for peace.
Jacky Rowland reports from Jerusalem.
Israeli activist to be jailed for caring
Ezra Nawi was ridiculed and arrested for trying to protect people’s homes. Only international attention can help him now. Without international intervention, Israeli human rights activist Ezra Nawi will most likely be sent to jail.
The Reality of Jewish settlers in Hebron And the West bank
Settler’s attacks are a constant data that Palestinian who live in surrounded by settlements, and especially in Hebron have to cope with. Those happen so often, that it is almost impossible for us to report each case. Only this week, settlers uprooted with bulldozers a Palestinian farmland, kidnapped a sheperd, killed another Palestinian youth and attacked three women in Hebron.
B’tselem, the Israeli Human Rights organisation gives the opportunity to Palestinian to record their daily burden and shoot back... with a camera.
Members of the Free Gaza Boat SS Human Dignity arrested by the Israeli
Today, fourteen people remain in custody after the aid ship bound for Gaza was seized by the Israeli navy. Among them, Mairead Mc Guire, an Irish Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Cynthia Mc Kinney, a former US representatives, and two Al Jazeera journalists. The Free Gaza movement sent the ship loaded with humanitarian supplies from Cyprus, in defiance of Israel’s crippling 2-year blockade.
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate speaks from Israeli Jail: Mairead Maguire
Mairead Maguire, a peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner spoke to us from inside Tel Aviv’s Ramla Givon high security prison.
The Israeli prison guards are denying the right for Mairead to access her medicine. She is fasting, "not just for her friends incarcerated along with her, but for the 11,000 Palestinians also thrown into jail, many without benefit of trial".
Hear her eloquent interview with Al Jazeera.
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