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Profile: Documentary Shows Possibilities For Middle East Peace
Weekend Edition Sunday: July 3, 2005
Film Depicts 'Shape of Future' in the Mideast
LIANE HANSEN, host:
Last evening for the first time, a Middle East documentary was broadcast simultaneously on Israeli and Arab television stations. The four-part series, "The Shape of the Future," attempts to show that there are possible solutions for some of the most intractable problems in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. From Jerusalem, NPR's Linda Gradstein reports.
LINDA GRADSTEIN reporting:
The series is being run simultaneously by Israel's documentary channel, the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, a private Palestinian TV network and Abu Dhabi Television. It's produced by a non-profit organization called Search for Common Ground, which works on conflict resolution around the world.
SOUNDBITE OF "IN MY HEART"
Mr. DAVID BROZA: (Singing in Hebrew)
GRADSTEIN: The song "In My Heart" is sung by one of Israel's most popular singers, David Broza.
SOUNDBITE OF "IN MY HEART"
Mr. BROZA: (Singing in Hebrew)
GRADSTEIN: `Our world in my body, in my spirit, our land. You are my blood, you are my soul, you are with me.' Then the same words, sung in Arabic, by well-known Palestinian singer Wisam Murad.
SOUNDBITE OF "IN MY HEART"
Mr. WISAM MURAD: (Singing in Arabic)
GRADSTEIN: The song has been released in Israel and in the Palestinian territories as a music video. It encapsulates the message of the documentary "The Shape of the Future," that both Israelis and Palestinians are tied to the same piece of land and that they must find some way to share it. John Marks wrote the series.
Mr. JOHN MARKS (Writer, "The Shape of the Future"): I had been working in this region for over a dozen years, and it became too clear to me, particularly in the post-September 11th period, that people out here didn't think it really was possible to make peace. There's a huge amount of cynicism in the region. There's a huge amount of notion that it just can't be done. And what we thought was, `Let's make a television series which shows what peace could possibly look like.'
GRADSTEIN: Each of the four 30-minute episodes focuses on one subject: Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; the future of Palestinian refugees; Jerusalem; and security and borders. The interviewees in the film cut across a broad spectrum of Israeli and Palestinian opinion. There is almost no narration in the film, just the statements of Israelis and Palestinians whose lives are affected daily by the ongoing conflict. After almost five years of violence during the current intifada, many analysts say Israelis and Palestinians have dehumanized each other. Marks says the films are an opportunity to try and change that. For example, in the first film about settlements, one of the primary speakers is Otneil Schneller, a Jewish settler who lives in the West Bank and former head of the Council of Jewish Settlements.
SOUNDBITE OF "THE SHAPE OF THE FUTURE"
Mr. OTNEIL SCHNELLER (Former Head, Council of Jewish Settlements): (Through Translator) I believe that peace is very important so that future generations can live here in a normal state.
SOUNDBITE OF PLANE
Mr. SCHNELLER: (Through Translator) While war with the Palestinians could continue for another 50 or a hundred years, or as long as is necessary, I very much don't want that to happen. Under certain circumstances, I would agree for the sake of peace to give up parts of my land.
GRADSTEIN: Now listen to Hisham Abdul Razak, the Palestinian Cabinet minister for prisoner affairs, who spent more than 20 years in an Israeli jail.
SOUNDBITE OF "THE SHAPE OF THE FUTURE"
Mr. HISHAM ABDUL RAZAK (Palestinian Minister for Prisoner Affairs): (Through Translator) A political solution would deny both the Israeli grand dream and the Palestinian grand dream. It would require an agreement between the two sides to live in peace and to end the state of war and conflict.
GRADSTEIN: The film does not offer detailed solutions, and there are extremists on both sides who continue to reject any compromise. But the documentary is being broadcast at a time when both Israeli and Palestinian officials say there is a new opportunity to revive the peace process.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has backed a cease-fire, and Israeli officials say the level of violence has dropped dramatically in recent months. Next month, Israel is set to pull its troops out of Gaza and evict close to 9,000 Jewish settlers who live there. Marks says his organization has helped prepare a curriculum focusing on the films. One hundred and fifty Palestinian teachers are planning to show and discuss the film next year. He would like to see something similar on the Israeli side.
Mr. MARKS: I would really like for people to see that there is a possibility here of reaching agreement, that it is possible to end this conflict. All conflicts can be ended, even the most bloody, awful conflicts, and this one is an awful conflict. But it could be ended. The overwhelming majority in both societies--I would estimate about 70 percent of each--wants peace, wants agreements, wants to move out of this conflict.
GRADSTEIN: The series continues on Saturday evenings throughout July. Linda Gradstein, NPR News, Jerusalem.
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