Machsom Watch was officially formed in 2002. At its peak some years later, it was made up of over 400 volunteers, most of them elderly Israeli women. Often called Checkpointwatch in English translations, the group does just that. In 2001, the Israeli government began building a massive complex of walls between occupied Palestine and Israel. They justified this blatant act of apartheid by citing every terrorist attack since the official start of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in 1967.
Those who founded the Machsom Watch stood in opposition to these flagrant human rights abuses. This group still records activities at the many checkpoints throughout Israel and occupied Palestine, helping people to cross whenever they can. In the words of one of the Checkpoint Women, “The seeds of hatred are being sown here.”
An entire nation is subjected to military policing, impeding free movement, access to medical care and work, and their general sense of safety and well-being. Machsom Watch has seen a decline in its volunteer support, but over a hundred members still patrol the checkpoints, helping where they can and recording the daily human rights violations that occur there.
Let me start by saying that The Checkpoint Women: Memories is an outstanding documentary. The film captured is from the archives of Machsom Watch and is highly variable in quality, but in-depth interviews act as guides, weaving a tale of inhumanity that persists to this day.
The most striking element of The Checkpoint Women is its open connection between gun-toting settler Zionists and the Israeli military: Several extended scenes of civilian-directed human rights abuses are featured with the organization's founders providing thoughtful commentary about the situation as they saw it unfold.
These women come from all walks. Some are recent immigrants from around the world, others were raised in staunchly Zionist homes, and still others were residents of Israel before the occupation of Palestine was even a plan. They are journalists, photographers, educators, homemakers, and tradeswomen. This surprisingly effective hour-long documentary hits on a number of major topics, making it a must-have for most university collections. Highly Recommended.
Where does this title belong on public library shelves?
The Checkpoint Women: Memories belongs on a number of shelves including Human Rights, Judaism, Women’s Studies, Israel/Palestine documentaries, and activism documentaries.
What type of college instructor could use this documentary?
Anyone studying the ongoing conflict in Palestine will want to have access to this outstanding film, but Women’s Studies and those teaching recent Middle Eastern History will also get major classroom use out of The Checkpoint Women.