Movie Report 2

Haitham Aldafari

Enter the name of Instructor

Political Science

12 December, 2019.

Movie Report 2

The documentary ‘Occupation 101’ focuses on the effects of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. The documentary covers the events from the upsurge of Zionism up to the second Intifada in Palestine. The documentary display, in a classic manner, the effects of Israeli unilateral disengagement plans over the ideological narrative of Palestinians. One of the main aspects of the documentary is to highlight the role of the United Nations and the United States in the resolution of the conflict between Palestine and Israel. It shows that right after the formation of the state of Israel, during 1947 to 1948, there was a deep urge among Palestinians to return to their homeland. In view of the massive sentiments supported by the world community at large, the UN passed Resolution 194, to compensate for the losses. Another resolution of the UN titled Resolution 181, recommended the geographical division of the territories. Some of these events are not visibly displayed in the documentary. Seeing the events depicted in the documentary, some scholars consider the role of the UN as naysaying.

There has been no second opinion about the fact that the role of the US, in this conflict had remained quite confrontational. The US support for the Palestinian people has largely remained persistent, despite the jeopardies inflicted by Israeli occupied forces. Irrespective of the general view of people and international media, the documentary Occupation 101 has largely avoided openly depicting this aspect. For one reason or another, the US media does not portray the exact image of what has been preventing the US authorities to play a decisive role in the resolution to the conflict. Therefore, for such reasons, the documentary Occupation 101 had not been able to maintain fame among US viewers. The role of the US in the resolution of the Israel- Palestine issue is dubious, as the state had been portraying facts in a distorted manner for the US population, in general. Bearing in mind, this role of the US, it is right to argue that US efforts had never remained true to what it has been portraying for the Palestinian people.

The denial of full humanness or dehumanization is the renunciation of the rights to people. The renunciation of rights is the worst form of oppression, one state can cause over the other. Palestine had been facing this issue since the inception of Israel. Other than Gregory, there are other scholars who had been talking about this form of oppression, as well. Gregory’s thinking are influenced by anti- Israeli narrative and therefore, he had been witnessing the worst humanitarian form in Palestine. Israeli state authorities call it self- defense, however, it defies all forms of self- defense. De-humanization in Palestine is the worst of all humanitarian crisis. Other than including the physical pain, Palestinians had been going through times, any human could not have witnessed. It is dehumanization and sometimes, it is more than that. The Israeli authorities also leave no stone unturned, to cause suffering to innocent Palestinians.

Gregory’s view of the dehumanization of Palestinians is the absolute manifestation of what form it takes. Palestinians had witnessed the oppression, brutal killings, homelessness and vagrancy. It is what one thinks with dehumanization. It has been portrayed, but in a slight form. Occupation 101- the documentary is therefore, much related to the issue of Palestine. It creates a close image among people’s minds about what the Palestinians and Israelis are fighting over and what Palestinians are facing, as a result. It takes into account the political differences, the sufferings of Palestinians, Israel’s belligerent attitude, and portrays a future image of a Palestinian state. It is for all such reasons, Gregory said, “some lives do not count”.