To those of you who are familiar with the situation in the Israeli Palestinian conflict, I would say this film is a "must see".
In short this film features six heads of the Shin Bet (Israel's internal Security and anti-Terror agency) being interviewed regarding the Palestinians, Settlers and anti-Terror activities that these men oversaw. It is very telling in that all of these men talk about the importance and value of negotiations and how all of these men see their roles as both protectors of the Israeli people AND agents in a tactical war of retribution and security.
The interviewees seem to be honest (though there was evident "playing to the cameras in some questions") in their assessments regarding their jobs and the role in politics that they play. Sometimes brutally so. What struck me about all of these men was that none of them seemed to "enjoy" what they did (both good and bad). There is a sense they did what they felt they had to do, but under direct questioning that there was no sense of "triumph" in the long run. There seemed to be an almost sadness to these men as well as a desperate need to make sure that when history views them, it views them through the lens of those who tried to do the best possible job in very extreme circumstances.
Three things stood out for me. They were:
1. I would like to see a Palestinian version of this film if one could exist (interviews with the heads of Hamas security or Fatah security). One thing I saw from these interviews was that there was a great deal of regret over certain tactics that have been employed and the way these things were managed. Particularly when they talk about the assassination of Salah Shahade in Gaza where his wife and children were killed from a One Ton Bomb dropped on his home, and the regret they feel at this not having been a "clean" operation.
I do have to wonder if any of the Palestinians involved in mass killings of Jewish and American civilians would interview and say the same things. I am not sure that they would. I don't see a lot of self-reflection in the public statements from Palestinian leaders regarding this kind of thing. To me this is telling about the societies we live in. It is something that has always stayed with me from the time I lived in Israel. The Israelis may be good at certain things involving warfare, but, I don't know many of them who outright brag about inflicting civilian casualties, at least not the people who actually have been involved in that.
2. The part regarding Jewish Terrorism absolutely bothered me to no end. I remember when I lived in Israel talking with early people involved in the settlement movement (Geula Cohen in particular - I was doing a project on Tehiya while attending Hebrew University) and the things they said. To actually see that some of the people I was talking too (because I did talk to MK's that were hard Rightists) were involved in freeing those on the Hard Right that planned Terror actions is sobering. I mean planning to blow up 250 Arab civilians on buses or to bomb the Temple Mount... Who does these things, and why were those people allowed to run free? I mean, bombing the Temple Mount and bringing down Al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock would literally start WWIII. What insane person does this? More than that, what insane people allow these people to go free.
ALSO, on Yigal Amir. The assassination of Yitzhak Rabin shook me to the core. When Carmi Gillon was talking about what happened, I was dumbfounded. And he was brutally honest as to what the Shin Bet thought the role that PM Netanyahu and PM Sharon played in that. Rabin was a great man, who had a vision and the Right destroyed that vision.
3. There will be a Third Intifada (although I pray to G-d it does not happen). I just don't see how with this new government there won't be. The movie gives tactical and somewhat strategic reasoning behind it... But what now for the Palestinians? They will have Gaza and that is pretty much it, at least IF this new administration gets it's way. If it won't then where are the plans on the table. Where even is the table? Moshe Ya'alon is pro-settlement and who is Deputy Minister of Defense... Naftali Bennett, a man who is outright in favor of the "One State Solution". So exactly what are Palestinians in the West Bank "playing" for. The Prime Minister has made vague noises about the Two State Solution but according to U.S. intelligence he is the only one in his party that actually even talks about it.
The GateKeepers is an intelligent film dealing with serious people talking about things they know. They don't screw around with political rhetoric and after dealing with the nonsense that is the internet, (including commentary on this blog), it was refreshing to see.
Please everyone who reads this (all 10 of you), please go see it, and then come back and let's discuss it. What was your "take away" from it?
