Unsettled

http://www.unsettledmovie.com/

The director came to the campus with his film. CJU and Peace Studies co-sponsored the film so the Intro To Peace and Conflict came to watch with us.

It's a documentary about the Gaza pullout in 2005 and it features 6 Israelis of different backgrounds- two soldiers, two lifeguards, one religious settler, and one pro-disengagement activist. They presented their views and their stories on this. There were all in their early 20s so college students can somehow relate in a way. It also had footage of the actual pullout.

I must saw the movie's title certainly fit. I felt very unsettled watching this. It kept my mind quite active as I listened, watched, and analyzed the movie trying to make sense of this. At several points, I could feel my heart breaking, not because the settlers had to leave but I thought it was because you could see how everyone in there just loved their country but didn't know how to approach the problematic situation together. The most powerful dialogue was the conversation between the soldiers and the settlers who had served in the Army because there was that conflict of connection that they shared- the experience of being in the "robotic" Army. One settler grabbed his old uniform and boots and tried to dig them in the ground in front of the soldiers. These settlers certianly felt betrayed but also tried to reason with the young soldiers what the Army machine was doing to them. On the other hand, some of the soldiers had a difficult time concealing their sympathies and emotions that some of them ended up giving their arms and shoulders for the settlers to lean on and cry. It was the moment that makes a viewer realize that despite all the arguments and protests, everyone just wants Israel to have peace and they are willing to sacrifice out of love for the Land of Israel, not the Army or the government.

Oh yes, there is a difference in how you call Israel. Eretz Yisrael is the Land of Israel and has more religious belief to it- that it supports the land for the Jews. On the other hand, Medeeynah Yisrael is State of Israel. Many Israelis, I don't believe, don't use the latter probably because of the high corruption in the government. Besides, Eretz is much broader term that doesn't create conflict.

Anyway, do I suggest the movie? It's hard for me to say because in a very small way I thought it was anti-disengagement. Just watch at your own risk. I almost thought for a minute that it might've been a mistake to vote on bringing the movie on campus.

If you want to know what were my political views on this. Back in 2005 when I came back from birthright when the subject of disengagement did come up several times, I decided that I'd be against disengagement because this was our land and we won Gaza and West Bank from our enemies. But I didn't feel very strong so it didn't matter. All I remmeber was when someone asked the J-Post journalist who spoke to us about the color orange and he said that anyone who wore color orange was anti-disengagement. And then I freaked out a bit because I had packed an orange top to wear later in the trip! Needless to say, I didn't wear that and wore another top twice.

Now, I'm pro-disengagement, only to a limit. I don't favor in complete withdrawal back to 1967 because certainly something must be earned out of that war that changed the world. For Gaza, there isn't a really significant meaning for that piece of land- the settlers go there only because God told them to expand Israel's boundaries. But there's a very clear Palestinian majority there so why should Israelis live there? Unfortunately, it's ensued in little civil war. As for West Bank, its stability makes the disengagement argument more valid. But I will never allow the Israeli government to consider dividing or giving up Jerusalem and Golan Heights. Those areas have greater political and security significance to me.