Further Resources

 

Movies on DVD

Occupation 101, NR, 2007, 1 hr. 30 mins., plus deleted scenes & bonus footage

An excellent movie, a "must-see." A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Occupation101 presents a comprehensive analysis of the facts and myths surrounding this controversy. The film details life under Israeli military rule, the role of the U.S. in the conflict, and the major obstacles that stand in the way of a viable peace. Topics covered include Jewish immigration, the Six-Day War, the intifadas, the Oslo Peace Accords, Zionism, settlement expansion, the separation barrier and the precarious future of the Christian church in Palestine.

This film features interviews with very highly respected individuals, e.g., former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, World Vision Director, Middle-East scholars, Israeli historians and lawyers, Rabbis, the Washington Episcopal Bishop, journalists and Christian Peacekeepers. See www.occupation101.com for ordering information and downloadable Teachers Guide.

Searching for Peace in the Middle-East, 2007, 30 mins. Available from CRC OSJHA.

Produced by the Foundation for Middle East Peace and endorsed by former President Jimmy Carter, this documentary presents both sides of the conflict and proposes a way to a just peace in the Holy Land.

3-Part DVD: Children of the Nakba (2005), Walking the Path Jesus Walked (2002), and The Dividing Wall (2004), Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

With study guides and recommended resources. Each section 20 – 25 mins.

Stuck With the Truth, 2002, by Canadian Friends of Sabeel.

Palestinian Christians speak of the reality of Israeli occupation. Available from all MCC offices:

MCC US
21 South 12th St. PO Box 500, Akron, PA 17501-0500
(888) 563-4676
e-mail:mccwash@mcc.org

MCC Great Lakes
1013 Division St.
Goshen, IN 46528
( 574) 534-4133

Other Movies: Visit www.arabfilm.com for an extensive list of documentaries and feature films related to the Middle-East

DVDs Available from Netflix

Journey to the Occupied Lands: Frontline (A West Bank Retrospective) NR, 1 hr 30 mins, 2005.

"PBS's investigative Frontline series examines a cornerstone in the ongoing Arab-Israeli peace talks: the bitterly disputed land of the West Bank and Gaza. In a personal journey to the region's Israeli-occupied territories, correspondent Michael Ambrosino explores the complex issues of land ownership, the scope and future of the Israeli settlements, the realities of Israeli military justice and daily life under Israeli occupation."

This is an excellent documentary that gives a broad overview of many of the factors playing out in Palestine, including the role of the Christian church, with a particular emphasis on Israeli settlements.

Until When… NR, 2004, 1 hr. 16 mins.

"Director Dahna Abourahme’s documentary follows four Palestinian families who live in Dheisheh Refugee camp near Bethlehem, painting a genuine portrait of life in the settlement through interviews, photo archives and emotionally compelling footage. A revealing look at how displaced people survive such frustrating circumstances, this moving film also shares what inspires the refugees to keep a firm grasp on their hopes for a better tomorrow."

Elusive Peace: Israel and the Arabs NR, 2005, 2 hrs. 30 mins.

"In this three-part documentary you'll go behind closed doors with the world leaders, officials and military personnel who were intimately involved in the Arab-Israeli peace talks during the 1990s - 2002, and learn why the discussions unraveled. Key figures interviewed include Yasser Arafat, Bill Clinton, Ariel Sharon, George Bush and Colin Powell."

I found this fascinating, enlightening and frustrating at how easily promising peace talks were derailed. I couldn’t stop watching it. While the documentary is not at all one-sided and does not seem to have an agenda, to me, it presents a pretty clear indictment of Israel.

Death in Gaza, HBO Special, 2003, 80 mins.

Documentary by James Miller and Saira Shah who chronicled the lives of three Palestinian children living in war-torn Gaza. Presents a vivid view of the harsh conditions of life in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and how damaged children are by the conflict. They intended to show the Israeli side of the conflict as well, but during filming James Miller fell victim to the conflict when he was killed by Israeli forces.

The Color of Olives, NR, 2006

Story by Brazilian film-maker Carolina Rivas about a Palestinian family separated from their land by the so-called Security Fence.

Books

Burge, Gary. Whose Land? Whose Promise? What Christians are not being told about Israel & the Palestinians. The Pilgrim Press, 2003. This is consistently mentioned as the "if you only read one book about Palestine, this should be it" book.

Schipler, David. Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land. Penguin USA, 2002. An in-depth look at the origins and nature of the conflict and the failure of the peace process. Lengthy, but well worth reading.

Books on the Mennonite Central Committee Recommended Reading List:

Ateek, Naim Stifan. Justice and Only Justice: A Palestinian Theology of Liberation. Orbis Books, 1989

Carey, Roanne & Jonathan Shainin, eds. The Other Israel: Voices of Refusal and Dissent. The Free Press, 2004.

Halper, Jeff. Obstacles to Peace: A Re-Framing of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. ICAHD, 2004

Pappe, Ilan. A History of Modern Palestine: One Land, Two Peoples. Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Shlaim, Avi. The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World. W.W. Norton & Co., 2001.

Naseer Aruri (ed.), Palestinian Refugees: The Right of Return. Pluto Press, 2001

Elias Chacour, We Belong to the Land, Harper Collins, 1990, and Blood Brothers, Chosen Books, 1984

Nur Masalha, Politics of Denial: Israel and the Palestinian Refugee Problem. Pluto Press, 2003.

Tany Reinhart, Israel-Palestine: How to End the War of 1948, Seven Stories Press, 2002

Annotated Bibliographies & Book Sources

Browse the American Education Trust's Book Club website for books, videos, CD-ROMS and greeting cards at www.middleeastbooks.com

Electronic Intifada has an extensive collection of books on topics such as: History of the conflict; biographies, memoirs and diaries; Israeli history; Palestinian history; the Israeli lobby; Jewish and Israeli voices of peace; the peace process; refugees; religion and spirituality; second intifada, and women’s issues. Browse their list and annotated bibliographies at http://electronicintifada.net/bytopic/store

Websites for information and resources:

These are the web sites of the peace and justice organizations the CRC Study Group met with in July, 2007. They provide resources, information, and opportunities to study and volunteer in Israel / Palestine:

Churches for Middle-East Peace at www.cmep.org/sites.htm and Sabeel (Palestinian Christian group) at www.sabeel.org/etemplate.php?id=8 have well-organized links to many of the websites related to pace and justice issues in Israel and Palestine.

Sources of news from the Middle East are:

  • www.electronicintifada.org and the International Middle-East Media Center at www.imemc.org have daily updates as well as a wealth of information and resources; you can sign up for regular electronic updates
  • www.ifamericansknew.org offers news updates as well as links to other recommended news coverage and educational materials
  • The Washington Report on Middle-East Affairs at www.wrmea.com produces a 100-page magazine nine times a year that focuses on news and analysis about the Middle-East and U.S. policy in the region.
  • Regular updates on child-related issues can be found at the Defense for Children International - Palestinian Section at www.dci-pal.org
  • www.badil.org publishes a quarterly newsletter called al-Majdal, available free online or in hard-copy by subscription
  • www.christianzionism.org provides information and resources to challenge Christian Zionism and dispensationalist end-times theology

The American Education Trust is a foundation established by retired U.S. foreign service officers. In addition to news and analysis, it offers many resources, such as books, arts and crafts and a speakers bureau - www.amedtrust.org

www.rememberthesechildren.org, supported by the American Educational Trust, Americans for Middle-East Understanding, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and The Parents Circle, lists each one of the 1,070 children killed by Israelis and Palestinians from Sept. 2000 (the beginning of the second intifada) until the present. Copies of their beautiful and heart-wrenching booklet are available for a nominal shipping fee ($3 for 1 copy, $5 for 2-8 copies, and $10 for 9-45 copies). On request, they will also send copies to elected representatives, members of your church, mosque or synagogue, schools, universities, newspapers, TV stations or other organizations.

www.stopthewall.org and www.trocaire.org - Extensive material about the separation wall and its impact on Palestinian communities.

www.arif.org - Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem: maps and case studies on Israeli settlement activity and wall construction in the occupied territories

www.Shovrimshtika.org or Breaking the Silence is an organization of hundreds of veteran Israeli soldiers who are speaking out and giving testimony to the atrocities committed against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.

www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org works towards a lasting peace that protects the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians. They provide news updates, educational materials, action alerts and other resources.

Amnesty International (USA) at www.amnestyusa.org/countries/Israel_and_occupied_territories/index.do

Defense for Children International, Palestinian Section at www.dci-pal.org

Human Rights Watch, Middle-East: www.hrw.org/mideast/is-ot-pa.php

Middle-East Children's Alliance - www.mecaforpeace.org

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights - www.pchrgaza.org

United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees - www.un.org/unrwa

Zochrot Association - www.nakbainhebrew.org an Israeli organization working to raise awareness within Israeli society about the events of 1948 and Palestinian refugees.

www.palestineremembered.com a comprehensive source of information about the villages and towns that were ethnically cleansed both before and after 1948

Palestinian Arts and Crafts (available online)

View Bethlehem Bible College's Gift Shop Catalogue online at www.bethlehembiblecollege.edu - pottery, wood carvings, jewelry and prints

Bereaved Parents at www.theparentscircle.org sells prints and books created by group members in memory of those lost to the conflict, to raise awareness, and to raise funds to support their projects of peace and reconciliation.

The Palestinian Arts and Crafts Trust (PACT) supports the work of Palestinian artisans in the West Bank, Gaza and throughout the middle East. For products and prices, visit www.amedtrust.org/pact/

http://www.canaanfairtrade.com offers organic, fair trade olive oil and food items produced by farmers from Jenin in the West Bank

www.michiganpeaceteam.org sells fair trade organic Palestinian olive oil

Gift stores such as Ten Thousand villages and Global Gifts often sell Palestinian products.

MISCELLANEOUS

Visit www.holylandtrust.org for information about tours that offer a Palestinian (Christian and Muslim) perspective as well as opportunities for meeting with Israeli peace and justice groups.

www.birthrightunplugged.org - offers tours of Israel and the Occupied Territories, targeting mainly Jews but all are welcome. An alternative to the heavily promoted Birthright Tours used to attract Jewish immigrants and settlers to Israel. Suggest this to your Jewish friends.

Neve Shalom - Wahat al-Salam, or Oasis of Peace, is a community started in the 1970s, half-way between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jaffa. The community is half-Palestinian, half-Jewish and offers a bilingual-bicultural grade school, conflict resolution training, day tours, spiritual retreat center and hotel. For information, visit http://nswas.org

Edgy ads on Palestinian refugees, house demolitions, human rights and occupation are available for placement in local media from the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs at www.wrmea.com/adcamp/index.htm

 

Thanks to Peggi  Vander Meulen. 

 

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