Victims of Peace?

Loved the shwarma huckster scene.

Well shot, edited, and all of that...But it is fundamentalistic, zionistic, and dyadic--both the people and the production. One has to see it in its historical/cultural context and within Jaron's oeuvre--he sometimes goes to Palestine or surrounding Arab states--and that balances it out (I doubt anybody is paying this much attention to the televisual flow of programming).

His pods are politicized reflections about the threat of war. This one in particular was even historical, catching the people years after their removal. Jaron, your the best, but, smile a bit, lay off the melodrama, and get both sides of the issue.

The hypocrisy in this piece is very disturbing. Not once were any of these people asked why they thought they had to move. Not once was the history of the settlements touched upon. This is more than one-sided and propagandistic; this is simply bad journalism.

This is a short documentary on the lives of the settlers 2 years after the disengagement. That is why I found a cross section of different settlers, some who adjusted well to the move, and others who did not. This was not meant to be a dry, double-sided news story, but rather, an interesting, truthful portrait about a group that most of the world feels little compassion for (either as a result of or because of the mainstream media also feels that way). I didn’t approach this story as a piece on the conflict laden with the typical anti-settler, pro Palestinian bias that is endemic to reporting from this region, but rather I tried to deconstruct it as much as possible and treat it as an ordinary human rights story.

The settlers, in some cases deservingly so, have been branded by the media as right wing, racist zealots. So when their own government tramples on their human rights, the international mainstream media turned a blind eye, effectively saying, "Ain't karma a bitch." This reveals a hidden bias in the media that, over time, sets a dangerous precedent. By ignoring this human rights story, the mainstream media tacitly approved this government violation of human rights and set a dangerous precedent for future violations. Governments have always been utilitarian and that’s exactly what the Disengagement was. The Israeli government sacrificed the well being of the few for a limited time, for the prosperity of the masses for a long time. But just because millions of Palestinians and Israelis may one day enjoy the fruits of the Disengagement and live as neighbors in peace and harmony doesn’t mean that the media should ignore the thousands of “victims of that possible peace.”

Fortunately, the mainstream media does a good job of making people aware of Palestinian suffering and the tragic human rights violations that occur regularly in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The irony is that these settlers have a lot in common with the Palestinians. Both groups know what it feels like to be yanked from their homes and schools and businesses without sufficient compensation.

Hi Jaron,
My remark wasn't based on a dismissive attitude towards the settlers - I know most settlers are just normal people, looking to create a nice life for themselves and of course being torn from your home is terrible however you got there.
Nevertheless, these settlements were put up behind the Green Line, homes created on land that had not yet been designated. In order for these Israeli homes to be put up, Palestinian homes had to be ripped down. Once these settlements are established, those Palestinians lose any hope of coming back. Your piece didn't touch on any of this - and though you might aim to tell one story, like it or not, this particular one is tied at the hip to that of another.
Interestingly, I spent time with Palestinians whose houses have been demolished to make way for settlements, amongst other things. Though the angle in my own film is from a Palestinian perspective, I realized very early in my research that I couldn't possibly make a film about one, without making a film about the other too - not if I wanted to get as clear a picture as I could. I'm not saying it has to be a "dry, double sided news story" but that to make your argument - to show one side - you have to present its counter argument too. Otherwise, it's a story with a massive, gaping hole in the middle.
I don't mean to dismiss the people portrayed in your piece but I can't accept that the question as to why this happened is simply brushed aside. I truly believe that this kind of journalism is irresponsible.
Most people don't know too much about the situation and that always has to be remembered when making a piece (I had to go back over my own cut for the same reasons - I just assumed they knew things they didn't).
Anyway, sorry for going on about it. I saw your piece without having seen anything else of yours, so my reaction was to exactly what I saw, without this follow up explanation.

Hey Sybille,

Of course these Israeli settlements affected the Palestinians of Gaza in a tragic way. But I ignored that for various reasons; It's history, it is a story most people already are familiar with, it is a story that opens up a can of worms that cannot be closed in 6 minutes.

There is always a problem of historical scope when doing a story on this conflict. How far back to go? 700 BC, 1917, 1948, 1967, 1987, 2005; all these years have significant events that helped shape and define this conflict.

Based on what you're saying, I think you were hoping for me to go back to the early 1970's when Ariel Sharon, as Israel's Agriculture Minister, devised the settlement policy for Gaza. By the way, back then it was not nearly as populated as it is now, and Israel mostly settled on uninhabited sand dunes. That being said, it was the "five fingers plan" that affected Gazans the worst. Gaza was divided into four regions with no freedom of mobility between them and of course no way to leave the Gaza Strip. While today Gazans do have freedom to travel within Gaza, they are still unable to travel outside the Strip.

That can of worms I'm referring to is the cycle of blame that has existed since this conflict began. To address it in a Current pod is impossible. I did open the can of worms in a feature film I made on the Disengagement. Here you will get the most objective look at the conflict and you will see exactly how the Israeli occupation of Gaza affected the Palestinians, as well as other reasons Gaza is the way it is today. The film is 110 minutes long (not exactly a Current pod) and it is being distributed by Films Media Group, an educational films distributor. Here is the link:

http://ffh.films.com/id/15276/Disengagement_Israels_Uni...

Its expensive so if you want I would be happy to send you a free copy. Also I would really love to check out your film.

Best regards,
Jaron

It was so interesting to see the news stories I’ve read come to life through such great access into the lives of those dealing with the conflict, and it’s repercussions, first-hand. Thanks for letting us hear people tell their personal tales of living through this difficult time. I thought it gave the conflict a human face, and I feel like I really got a better sense of what’s going on by getting a glimpse inside their lives. I will admit, I was hoping to hear something from ‘the other side’, but I understand that that’s not what you were trying to do with this piece. Nice job.

Well just wanted to say that watching this I had the feeling that now the Israel settlers understood or got a glimpse of how the Palestinians felt when they were uprooted from their homes and lost their livelihoods. All in all its sad, because the last scene where the older ladies state that the Israeli will go back regardless of what the Palestinians felt, shows that no lesson was learned from this :/

This was an extremely one-sided story about the jews settling in Gaza. As far as I remember, it was illegal for Jews to move into Gaza in the first place. They took the risk of having to leave when they made the decision to move there

Its truly a SHAME that Jaron Gilinsky is trying to paint the relocated illegal settlers of Gaza in a light that portrays them as victims. They are hardly victims when compared to the millions of Palestinians, living under siege in Gaza and the west bank, have to encounter every day! I would expect better from Current, perhaps immediately following up with another pod to show Current viewers what the real story is like in illegally occupied Palestine under Israeli occupation (House demolitions, curfews, checkpoints, cutting off water + electricity to the millions of Gaza residents - Google all of these things - Its an every day thing)!
First of all, Jaron mentions that the US funded settlers' (We paid to put them there + paid to move them out - upwards of $1,000,000 per family at the time of the evictions) dignity was hurt. Imagine what its like for a Palestinian mother who's daughter is shot by an Israeli soldier (With a gun paid for by the US taxpayer) on her way to school doing nothing (Google it!), being given 5 minutes notice to leave your home as it will be bulldozed and all of your life's possessions are left in a heap of rubble (Happens all the time - Google it!). People loose Dignity when an apartheid wall is built separating families and olive groves that have sustained life of innocent Palestinians for hundreds of years and they are left with nothing, NOT when the Israeli government provides you with movers, a new home and American money as a 'payoff' to promote 'peace'. By the way, as these illegal settlers were relocated, thousands more of these illegal settlements were being built in the West Bank even after the US Government had requested that they not be built and those West Bank settlements continue to be built today.
Putting this Jaron on your channel as if he is one of your everyday film makers that are featured on your channel and not giving your American (Who pay for the war crimes against Israel) audience both sides of the story has changed my view of your channel that I thought was 'different' than FOX News - I guess I was poorly mistaken!
I thought your programming was supposed to be 'cool' and appeal to 'smart urbanites' that would be 100% against Israeli Apartheid, Illegal Occupation, War Crimes and all the other atrocities committed against Palestinians, had these 'urbanites' been given a less biased, and more balanced view of the dire situation in Gaza!
Peace,
Former CURRENT viewer!

I agree that this pod didn't necessarily have to portray both sides of this issue but what upsets me is this pod deliberately omitted the reasons these people are in this situation in the first place. The jews of Israel are always trying to portray themselves as victims in this crisis and stories that are this controversial should at least help viewers understand the story. Stories like these encourage ignorance by beginning their pieces in the middle and not giving the viewer the respect to know that there is ALOT more to the story. And in the wake of 911 it is understandable but regrettable that we cannot come to understand the plight of both people in an equal way.

so wait? are we supposed to feel bad about these guys being forced to "move"? I'm not even Palestinian or Israeli and i can definitely spot the hypocrisy and one sidedness of this video. If these Jews/ Zionists are being displaced im 100% sure that the Israeli government will not leave them without any compensation either its money or land, despite the fact that it was illegal for them to have settled there in the first place. what about the Palestinians who are Forced to move and THEIR homes destroyed and families killed? they don't get NOTHIN' from NO government. Young children forced to grow up so quickly, just because the situation does not serve them at all.so man ..PLS. if you wanna cover a story, a good journalist always looks through more than one looking glass. Definitely peace and harmony for both sides is the goal of any modern, logical, educated person, but as long as political agendas and ideologies still live in the mind of anyone..peace will still continue to skate down an 80degree slope to extinction ..

I try to be pretty neutral on most issues and evaluate both sides perspectives. What I am finding very disturbing sometimes is how Jews claim the terrortory of Israel is historically theirs and hence its fine to take land etc. from Palestinians because of that. Dose the same apply then for Mexico that historically had most of south of USA? or native Indians for most of the USA? What about the people that used to occupy the area of Israel before Biblican times, could they tell the Jewish nation 'sorry, we were her first"? That argument can go on and on and hence makes no sence. In my mind we can't apply over 2000 year old historical 'fact' (why should we limit ourselfs to the Testaments etc., what about other religiouse claims?) to claim the right to occupy land or countries for that matter. Be realistic please.