To Die in Jerusalem

This film was an excellent documentary. To me, the film was about spreading awareness and provoking dialogue by allowing the audience to feel the situation from a very personal perspective of both sides of the problem. It is a very difficult task to attempt to portray this issue in an objective light, but what I felt was unique and valuable about this particular documentary is that you truly feel the filmmaker's compassion towards the Palestinian situation, despite the fact that the filmmaker is from Israel, as well as the way she takes you through the turmoil the suicide-bomber's victim's family experiences, like never seen before. Controversially, the film portrays how both sides are victims in this tragic event, and how important it is to recognize this. The film conveys how divided and separate these two nations are, and how little the two sides see eye-to-eye because of this lack of tolerant dialogue between them. The divide is also characterized by power between the oppressed and the non-oppressed, where the former rarely have the power to communicate their situation. Having said this, the film is an example of what I believe our future with regards to this cause needs; empathy from both sides, where power is more equally distributed in the form of expression. This film proves to be an example of the way these barriers should be broken down, where the strength behind the filmmaker's position of being Israeli was used to allow a woman from the Palestinian cause to have a voice, and how the only way we can actually find a path towards peace is to listen. This film truly moved me and allowed me to relate to both sides in ways I have never before. It unravelled the complexities behind the circumstance and how the simplest way to bridge a gap between differences can start through tolerating one another's dialogue, but how this can also be the toughest thing to undergo. I can only hope that this film reaches as many people as possible because it was such an honest account of two very tragic points of views, that was delivered so well in such a unique way, that I hope will bring about empathetic discussions and attention to this issue.

It's rare that I feel a need to write a review on this site, but this film is very deserving because of how poorly it was created, and how bias its product was.

I felt a distinct attempt on the part of the film-makers to display the Palestinian family as boorish and untrustworthy. We hear them discuss the sadness that they feel from oppression, yet the film is shot and arranged in a way that we feel the politically oppressed population is the Jewish Israeli population. We see no evidence that parallels the position of the Palestinian teenager. We only hear from other Palestinians in prison. I understand restrictions are in place, but the political nature of the restrictions are designed to prevent peace.

I came out of the film feeling that the mother of the victim was selfish in her mourning and completely closed minded due to her side of the fence, so to speak. She continued to be unwilling to see the hurt of the bomber's parents, and her angry and closed-minded words caused the final meeting to spiral out of control. It is more realistic, in my mind, to see the Israeli mindset to be a root of the problem; ignored pleas for understanding and freedom, ignored requests for acknowledgment for the process by which the Jewish population acquired the land.

I have given this a two because of these selfish weaknesses of the mother, which normally would be admirable in a documentary, however in the light of the lack of impartiality, it all seems exploitative. Also for the poor edits, lack of background in the actual instance, and finally the lack of proper representation of the Palestinian side. Ultimately, it is a poor documentary and a poor film. I acknowledge this is partially the result of the political situation, but am obliged to note the flaws in direction regardless of the heart-wrenching and sad subject matter.

The filming crew did not have good access to the occupied territories, so filming of the Israeli side dominated. I was struck by the nearly completely opposite points of view of the mothers. The Israeli mother lost a child who had the possibility of a life of tremendous happiness. The Palestinian mother lost a child who had only the possibility of a life of privation and despair. With such completely different viewpoints, any meeting had no real chance of any meeting of the minds. The word "peace" did not have the same meaning to each of them. Peace to the Palestinian was freedom. Peace to the Israeli was security. With such an abyss, is this sort of film really worth much? I finished with the feeling that I had watched pointless propaganda -- both sides were unconvincing.

I have sympathy to both Mothers. However this Documentary fails to see both points of view. Being an American we're so privileged, and we fail to see how much suffering is going on, yet we're generally surprised that other Countries don't like us. I don't want to get into the details of how we have trained the Taliban to defeat the Russians (and wonder why Russia doesn't really care for us), we provided weapons to Saddam, we have done a lot of things... and I don't want to get into that. I'm still proud to be an American. I still believe it's the greatest Country, we have so much freedom, we should never take it for granted, but we also shouldn't be surprised that some Countries have a deep hate for us.

The Palestinian people are suffering, they live in really bad conditions, they have no hope, they have no strong military... so for them they feel the only way to defend their rights is by suicide bombings. I don't condone it at all, but this Documentary failed to show the Palestinian's side. We are disliked in Palestine because we support Israel, and that will never change. I do hope that Israel makes a better attempt at solving these problems, and finding some way to compromise. I don't want to be pessimistic, but part of me thinks it will never happen because these problems have been there for so long that it does feel hopeless. If you have no hope in your life, you generally like you have no voice, and perhaps this is their small way of saying "we will not sit here, and take this occupation".

A recent news article below...

http://www.imemc.org/article/61581 U.S. regrets Israeli plan to approve more settlement in the occupied West Bank author Saturday September 05, 2009 00:19author by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies Report this post to the editors

The White House declared on Friday that it regrets a decision by the Israeli government, headed by Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to resume settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The White House said that this decision contradicts with Israel's own statements regarding its commitment to the Road Map peace plan.

It added that the Obama administration cannot accept the Israeli claims of the legitimacy of settlement construction and expansion, and urged Israel to stop its settlement activities, especially since this issue obstructs the efforts to create a momentum to restart the stalled peace process.

The statements came after a senior Israeli government official declared that Netanyahu is planning to approve hundreds of houses for Jewish settlers in West Bank settlements before he declares a temporary settlement freeze.

U.S. envoy, George Mitchell, will be visiting the Middle East next week for talks with Israeli officials. He is slated to arrive in Israel on Thursday for a two-day visit in which he would reiterate the demands of the U.S. administration.

Mitchell said that the U.S. commitment to Israel's security never changed and will remain strong, and added that his country believes that this security can best be achieved through dialogue and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, including the establishment a Palestinian State living in peace next to Israel.

The United States is holding comprehensive talks with Arab countries, Israel and the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas.

Illegal Israeli settlement activities are not the only cause for the stalled peace talks, but at least they are the highlighted issue at the moment. Israel still refuses any withdrawal from occupied East Jerusalem, refuses Palestinian sovereignty, refuses talks on borders, the refugees, natural resources and other and other fundamental issues that could contribute to a comprehensive peace deal.

The Palestinian and Israeli conflict has been waging my entire life and like most, I don't see an end in sight. After watching this documentary, I'm sad to say it only cemented my belief of this even more. I don't know what I was looking for, something positive I guess. Some mothers intuition that could make progress for a peaceful solution to an evidentially never ending ridiculous loss of life. A documented look into both sides, to look into the eyes of not only hatred but also despair of loss and see some reflection of humanity. There was just two bullheaded opinions, not much more. I live in a country that is consistently at the center of controversy and outrage (some unwarranted, most not). Having been lucky enough to see a lot of the world first hand, it saddens me that this is true, I'd love to see a change in the world for the better, but until we, as human beings, can come to the agreement that no Muslim, or Christian, or Jewish God would ever want anyone of his creations killed in his name, then I'm afraid we will live in this fearful state for a long time... As for personal questions, I'd love to ask the two mothers in this documentary: 1. The Israeli mother, You talk of peace, but in the 4 years since your daughters death, what have you done to voice a easement in the sanctions against the Palestinians? 2. To the Palestinian mother, you keep referring to your personal living conditions, a movement you lost a daughter for. Is it worth her life? I'd live in a box, for my child, to keep her safe. And lastly, they mentioned where there is occupation, there is resistance. Then she listed a list of recent countries struggles for independence. Only the Palestinians and Israeli seem to target civilian casualties. Why not suicide bomb military targets, why a shopping mall? And let's not forget, the greatest fight for independence was a peaceful one. Gandhi led the Indian people in peaceful protest against the British and the WORLD listened and love him for it...