"Relentless" Images of Middle East Violence Stun Reviewer
 

FILM/COMMENTARY

By MATT KINNEAR

The Terrapin Times Staff Writer

            On Monday, November 17, the Maryland chapter of the Zionist Organization of America sponsored Relentless: The Struggle for Peace in Israel, at the Hoff Theater. Besides the American media, this was my first exposure to the crisis in Israel, and I must admit it is rather overwhelming to be exposed to such a powerful film without knowing all of the facts. As anyone with a conscience would be, I was shocked and appalled at the brutality and the complete disregard for human life that the film depicted of Palestinians in the conflict with Israel. However, it is obvious that the documentary did not portray both sides of this argument that seemingly will never die.

The film began with a quote from former President John F. Kennedy, saying “Peace does not rest in the charters and covenants alone. It lies in the hearts and minds of the people." The film immediately changes pace, flashing horrific images of innocent Israeli and Jewish sympathizers dying in the streets from inhumane attacks by supporters of Palestine. Some of the most memorable images are those of Israeli volunteers picking up the organs of the dead so they can be buried, or conversely, Palestinian supporters desecrating the remains of dead Israeli bodies.

The film then gives a brief history of the never-ending saga; however, the history between these groups is too complex to piece it into a five-minute overview. A library filled with volumes on this situation would not explain it thoroughly.

The focus of the documentary, the Oslo Accords, follows. It was a promising attempt at peace, leading the Israelis to believe that their struggle had ended, but they were wrong. According to the film, the violence continued with Yassar Arafat promoting violence and terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens, directly violating the terms of the groundbreaking agreement. There are numerous scenes portraying Arafat as an advocate of the Oslo Agreements when confronted by the American press and leaders. However, they are followed by even more powerful scenes of Arafat encouraging Palestinians to claim a “Holy War” against Israel and to “Kill Jews.”

The overlying theme of the film demonstrates Israel making strides for peace and compromise. They are willing to give up lands (and did so) that they believe are rightfully theirs. Meanwhile, Palestinian suicide-bombers are constantly disrupting the peace process and are unwilling to compromise. Whether this is the truth or not is for the viewer to decide from events portrayed in the film.

Alarmingly, footage of Palestinian children less than eight years old, are shown praising suicide bombers and handling automatic weapons. Young boys, attending what is supposedly labeled as “summer camp,” are training for combat as Palestinian flags and pictures glorifying Arafat fill the background. The film ends by tying the conflict in the Middle East to the events of 9/11, and alluding to Nazism and the Holocaust. In my opinion, this compromised the integrity of the documentary. It portrayed sensationalistic images of the World Trade Center billowing smoke and the chaos it caused to gain the support of impressionable viewers.

There is no doubt that the film has a profound impact. As it was my first exposure to the situation, I was sickened. This footage needs to be shown; it can not be disregarded and forgotten. It would be a dishonor to the people who have died as a result of this constant war to do that.

The film was a pro-Israel sponsored event, so some bias was expected. The disparity in the footage was the main factor contributing to this. The footage of Israel sympathizers was collected in an organized fashion. However, footage of Palestinians was spliced together in short intervals, perhaps not giving the full picture. The footage linking the situation with America’s problems with terrorism, Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein was completely unnecessary. It gave the picture that pro-Palestine and anti-Americanism are one in the same.

Many issues were brought up in the discussion after the film, which was quite possibly more informing than the film itself. One member of the Students for Justice in Palestine, lambasted the film as “full of lies, and biased,” arguing that the translation of Yassar Arafat was “misleading and taken out of context.” He stressed the “need for some objective documentary” because “’Relentless’ only promotes hate.”

This film was a wake up call for me. I feel as if I have been living in a bubble, oblivious to this horrible situation. “Relentless” succeeded in this sense, making me aware of the bloodshed. However, I could see that for the most part only one side of the story was portrayed, which for the Israeli cause, is justifiable. This now makes me want to explore the other side of the argument and see what they have to say. It is time to let the peace in the hearts and minds of people, which Kennedy speaks about so vividly, come to the forefront through education of each other’s culture and ideas.