Tragedy in the Holy Land: The Second Uprising

With the Middle East teetering on the brink of total war as of late April 2002, this timely documentary offers a Palestinian perspective on how Israeli-Palestinian relations reached their current juncture, beginning with a return to the WWI-era, when the breakup of old colonial empires and the discovery of Middle Eastern oil led to a realignment of international interests--all of which was further complicated by the Zionist goal of establishing a Jewish homeland and an awakening Arab nationalism. Tragedy in the Holy Land quickly covers ground from the 1917 Balfour Declaration (for a homeland), the role of the Holocaust, the creation of Israel, and the first Arab-Israeli wars. Critics such as veteran leftist Noam Chomsky charge Israel with a "divide and rule" strategy in which the human rights of Palestinians are systematically violated--including searches and seizures, disruptive roadblocks in Palestinian areas, and sabotaging the Palestinian economy by uprooting olive tree groves, as well as the refugee crisis and the increasing number of new Jewish settlements in Palestinian homelands. The document singles out "former Irgun terrorist" leader Prime Minister Menachem Begin and current Israeli leader Ariel Sharon for creating an apartheid-like atmosphere in which Palestinian rights are ignored. While the video's tone is not strident, no Israeli viewpoints are presented, nor is any mention made of the practice--so seriously escalated in recent months--of suicide bombings and massacres of Israeli civilians. Sure to provoke strong reaction, this video should be of interest to libraries seeking ideological balance in their coverage of the Middle East. [Note: not surprisingly, the documentary contains scenes of graphic violence.] Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)