Out of Cordoba: Averroes and Maimonides in Their Time and Ours

I should start by saying that there was so much I liked about it. Frankly, I did not know a stitch about Averroes before I saw the documentary, and I found learning about the man and his times so interesting. Maimonides, aka The Rambam, I knew A LOT about. And I thought Bender got the Rambam story right.

The part that really alienated and angered me was when Bender got to Israel. The worst scene, for me, was when Bender slid from the scene at the Western (Wailing) Wall holy to Jewish prayer to the Separating Wall between what should be a future State of Palestine and the current State of Israel, with the wailing, mournful music in the background. Bender is saying that the current impasse between the Israelis and the Palestinians is a religious one, dividing hateful Orthodox Jews from innocent Palestinians. Rather, I believe the impasse between Israel and Palestine to be a political conflict over security (or rather Insecurity) on the Israeli side versus sovereignty (or rather lack of sovereignty) on the Palestinian side. Even the current conflict over the Temple Mount, and if Jews should be allowed to pray on the Temple Mount or not versus Palestinian or Muslim fears of an Israeli takeover of their holy shrine, is dressed up like a religious issue, dragging God's Holy Name through the mud, but it's really about power and who is in charge. I think Bender really gets this wrong and it is an important mistake.

I also don't like the whole West Bank scene aesthetically, as it doesn't fit the rest of the tone of the film, which is interesting, contemplative, welcoming to all. When he gets to Israel and the West Bank, it feels as if Bender has a personal ax to grind, and he loses his balance, and will alienate Jews from the Center to the Center Right, who should be watching this film, too. If Bender had included the following facts, I could have lived with the rest of his footage showing rather stupid Israeli soldiers (who I assure you are not Jewish extremist Orthodox zealots) oppressing innocent Palestinian Muslims.

In 2002, the year before the Security Fence was constructed, 457 Israelis were murdered. In 2009, when the Separation Wall was completed (note that mixing of the phrases Security Fence and Separation Wall also achieves a certain political balance), 8 Israelis were killed. Before the Wall was erected, 75% of all suicide bombers crossed the invisible line separating the West Bank from Israel. After the Wall was erected, such attacks have declined by 90%, with the number of Israelis murdered and wounded decreased by 70% and 85% respectively. Finally, in February 2005, the Israeli Supreme Court changed the route of the Security Fence significantly to take into greater consideration the negative impact on the native Palestinian population, resulting in a route that more closely follows the Green Line (the 1949 Israeli Armistice Line, before the Six Day War of June 1967).

If Bender had included the aforementioned paragraph I would have felt I was dealing with an honest, fair person, and I think more people NOT of his political persuasion would be willing to consider this overall world view. But I stopped trusting Bender when he jumped from the Western Wall to the Separating Wall because I did not think he was being honest or fair. Note: I think ongoing Israeli control of the West Bank and Palestinians is really bad for Israel if she wishes to remain both Democratic and Jewish, and I know Bender agrees with that too. BUT I think the heavy-handed and sloppy way he presents his message compromises the validity of his/our view point – and Bender is really alienating, at least to me, who agrees with most of what Bender is saying. I also feel there is with the Orthodox Jewish practice both a repugnant political reality coupled with a beautiful religious reality in terms of Sabbath observance within the home. Because Bender is clearly NOT an Orthodox or even a Modern Orthodox Jew, his feelings of personal revulsion comes out too strongly making ALL Orthodox Jews seem menacing, stupid and repugnant – it felt a bit like 1930's German anti-Semitic propaganda … and this from a Jew. So Bender leaves me feeling a little ashamed to call him a fellow Jew because he is so unfair in his brief portrayal of Orthodox Jews, even though I feel alienated by this practice of Judaism too.

I think it is really worth seeing and there is a lot to praise about the film. But I think without my critique, the viewing of the film is incomplete in a very serious way, especially before non-Jewish audience members who may have never met an Orthodox Jew or been to Israel. In a way I felt as if I were watching two films --- a really thoughtful, interesting documentary about possible co-existence which was the majority of the film –and which really spoke to me, and another angry, anti-Orthodox, anti-Israel, not thoughtfully-crafted propaganda film, reminiscent of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, which was grafted on to the first film. Just watch the first 3 minutes of Goebbels 1940 film, "The Eternal Jew," compare it to Bender's portrayal of Orthodox Jews in Israel and you will see that I am not overstating my outrage at Bender's portrayal – he really is playing with Antisemitism, even though he himself is Jewish. (https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=RlHVin56U2w)

I went to see this movie and expecting what the title said: a movie about Maimonides and Averroes. The first half was Great! Documentary showing the parallels the two Cordoba-born important figures. The only thing that bothered me a little bit was too many shots of the writer/director.

However, the second half was not about good to doctors. It was a more political movie, dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is not what I was interested in at all. I thought it was bait and switch. I must confess my bias: I have never seen an unbiased discussion about the subject, especially because it is hard to know all the facts. In particular, I believe it to be impossible in 30 minutes.