Musings of figurative artist Kathryn Kaiser

An informative (and critical) selection of videos on the Israel Palestine conflict.

For a more links to documentaries on the conflict in Palestine, see the documentaries list on the Art Blog post Resources and Mutual Aid For Palestine here. We also have a plethora of other resources on this page, including aid organizations.

1. The West Bank | Last Week Tonight

John Oliver discusses how the West Bank settlements came to be, what their presence means for everyone in the region, and why the weight of the world rests squarely on the shoulders of Ben & Jerry’s.

2. Investigating War Crimes in Gaza I Al Jazeera Investigations

This feature length investigation by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit exposes Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip through the medium of photos and videos posted online by Israeli soldiers themselves during the year long conflict.

This one comes with a trigger warning.

The I-Unit has built up a database of thousands of videos, photos and social media posts. Where possible it has identified the posters and those who appear. The material reveals a range of illegal activities, from wanton destruction and looting to the demolition of entire neighbourhoods and murder.

The film also tells the story of the war through the eyes of Palestinian journalists, human rights workers and ordinary residents of the Gaza Strip. And it exposes the complicity of Western governments – in particular the use of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus as a base for British surveillance flights over Gaza.

The west cannot hide, they cannot claim ignorance. Nobody can say they didn’t know. This is the first livestream genocide in history … If people are ignorant they are wilfully ignorant.”

Palestinian writer, Susan Abulhawa

For more information and an explainer on the Al Jazeera investigation into war crimes committed in Gaza, see this page on Al Jazeera.

3. Gaza Fights For Freedom

This 2019 debut feature film by journalist Abby Martin began while reporting in Palestine, where she was denied entry into Gaza by the Israeli government on the accusation she was a “propagandist.” Abby then connected with a team of journalists in Gaza to produce the film through the blockaded border.

Gaza Fights for Freedom is a documentary about the historic Great March Of Return protests, which occurred every week from March 2018 until December 2019, but covers much more. It tells the story of Gaza past and present, showing rare archival footage that explains the history never acknowledged by mass media. We hear from victims of the ongoing massacre including journalists, medics and the family of internationally-acclaimed paramedic, Razan al-Najjar.

At its core, Gaza Fights For Freedom is a thorough indictment of the Israeli military for war crimes with exclusive documentary evidence. This well researched and cinematically beautiful film is high on my recommended list. 

Directed, Written & Narrated by Abby Martin
Written & Produced by Mike Prysner
Lead Editor: Taylor Gill
Original Score: Anahedron (John Prysner)
Camera Operators: Asmaa Attia Hamad & Moaz Mousa
Field Producers: Abdulkareem Ajjour & Yousef Abd Al-Rahman Ghaben
Research Assistant: Tara Stone Motion Graphics: Ali Reza Yazdanian
Translations: Nour Elborno, Sara Abusheikh, Omar Abusheikh
Sound Editor & Re-Recording Mixer: Ben Huff

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