This documentary is extraordinary. It’s 1hr50m and riveting throughout.
A real look into the history and mindset of the settlers. It’s eye-opening to say the least. With archive footage and interviews. Spans from 1967 to 2016 when it was made.
If you have the time, it is well worth it!!
Synopsis by the Jewish Film Institute
With remarkable access, award-winning Israeli filmmaker, Shimon Dotan traces the history of Israeli settlements in the West Bank since Israel’s decisive victory in the 1967 Six Day War. While government leaders and the Israeli public initially saw the military victory as an opportunity for a negotiated peace, Jewish religious zealots saw it as a divine calling to redeem the Biblical land of Israel. Controversial leaders like rabbi Moshe Levinger saw the pilgrimage as an act of civil disobedience, saying that “only after we actually settle will we be taken seriously.” And so through both individual actions and the sometimes tacit encouragement of Israeli politicians, the Jewish settlements have grown to more than 500,000 inhabitants surrounded by a Palestinian population of 2.5 million. “It is a heated and often discussed topic, but I find that little is known about it, and often the discussion is misinformed,” Dotan says. He then embarks upon the most comprehensive retelling to date, employing little-seen archival footage, candid comments by security officials, uncensored interviews with the pioneers and a diverse range of modern-day settlers, religious and secular alike, to weave a provocative web that entangles the destinies of Israel, the Palestinian people and the entire Middle East.