Posted on: August 11, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

 

 

 

The Gatekeepers is a fair and balanced look into the relations that Israel has towards regional states and Palestinian forces. Israel’s position on defense and past decisions are explained by those that commissioned them – the film utilizes interviews with six former directors of the Israeli security service, Shin Bet. Taking special care to focus on the efforts of the agency from 1988 to 2010, The Gatekeepers showcases that the overall decisions made by the state were based on the work of specific figures in the Israeli government.

 

The meeting of the minds of these six heads showcase that the current policies of Israel may need to be re-thought. I feel that the commentary that is presented here by director Dror Moreh does a great deal in providing additional background to the specific policy tenets of Israel and the nuances present between each former director. The decisions made by the group (and the film itself) envision success in Israel being predicated on the acceptance by Israeli leaders of Palestinian sovereignty. With terrorism such a major issue for the average Israeli citizens, having a legitimation of Palestinian rights would lead toward an overall decrease (if not an outright cessation) in partisan violence.

 

The Gatekeepers is available online and at well-stocked physical locations, and represents a tremendous contribution to the narrative of Israel and Palestine. The documentary presumes no introductory knowledge and can be appreciated by high school students and scholars alike.

 

Rating: 8.9/10

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The Gatekeepers DVD / 2013 Sony / 101 Minutes / http://www.sony.com

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