Paul Luckraft reviews ‘Whose Land? Pt 1: Foundations’ (DVD, Title Deed Media, 2017).
This is the first of a two-part documentary looking at the legitimacy of Israel under international law. A wide range of highly qualified historians and international lawyers provide much of the information while presenter Colonel Richard Kemp anchors the whole presentation in a clear and skilful manner.
The aim of the production is simple: to tell the truth. With so much misinformation being spread around, either through fake history or deliberate misrepresentation of the current legal situation, simply telling the truth is the best weapon to counter the propaganda war being waged against Israel today.
How Lies Become Truth
In the dramatic opening we are shown several examples from the Palestinian media, proclaiming their rights to the land and their desire to destroy the Jews, who are portrayed as evil occupiers and usurpers.
Most striking is the clear indoctrination of children as part of this cause. The tactic is that if a lie is repeated often enough it will be believed without question and become a standard part of the education of the next generation. This belief that the Jewish people have no right to the land and are illegal occupiers is not only widespread throughout the Muslim world but, more alarmingly, is also finding a foothold in the West.
So what is the truth? The documentary starts by countering the claim that the Jews were never in the land in the first place, and that there was no Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This is easily done, as many sources confirm a Jewish presence in the land from antiquity.
Simply telling the truth is the best weapon to counter the propaganda war being waged against Israel today.
It then goes on to demonstrate that a Palestinian claim to any part of the land has no historical validity, and phrases such as ‘occupied Palestinian territory’ and ‘illegal occupation’ have no basis at all. They are all part of a bogus set-up. Verifiable history is the key to meeting such claims, and this is well-presented in sufficient detail without becoming bogged down or over-repetitive.
Charting Historical Progression
The 12 chapters vary in length from 3 to 13 minutes but it is possible to view it all in one sitting, as the film runs continuously through without annoying breaks for the chapter divisions (though it is well worth having the DVD case to hand to see the chapter titles).
The film takes us through the Ottoman Empire and its rule over Palestine, and then charts the historical progress from Turkish rule through to the Balfour Declaration. Some overlap would be expected with other DVDs and similar material on this topic - and inevitably there are some similarities - but there is much here that is new and more detailed. The whole emphasis is distinct: that of exploring the role of international law, hence chapters on the Paris peace conference, the League of Nations, the San Remo conference, and, of course, much on the British Mandate itself.
Special mention is made of the role of Churchill, which provides fascinating details into the political scene in Britain at that time. There is a chapter devoted to the 1939 White Paper and its tragic consequences, and another on the formation of the United Nations as it took over from the League of Nations, and the new charter that came into being as a result.
Britain’s betrayal of their Mandate responsibilities is documented clearly but always through the main lens of international law and how it should have been implemented.
The whole emphasis of this DVD is distinct: that of exploring the position of Israel within international law.
Being Clear About the Facts
The whole film is very informative, with new things to learn for everyone. It will also provide a vital revelation for those who rely on the usual media outlets.
We all need to be clear in our understanding of what is often a deliberately confused situation. With the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel coming up next May we need to be prepared: to know what is binding in international law to this day and how to counter false views. This DVD is an excellent resource to that end and is highly commended.
The DVD also contains two previews, one of six minutes and another of ten minutes. It is not clear why two are necessary, but the longer one seems to contain things which will come up in Part 2 and so acts as a trailer for the whole. Included in the second DVD will be the wars against which Israel has had to defend itself since independence and the campaign to denounce and delegitimise the Jewish State. Part 2 (to be released in 2018) is eagerly awaited!
‘Whose Land? Part 1: Foundations’ (94 minutes, produced and directed by Hugh Kitson) is available from the publishers for £15 + P&P. Click here to visit the official website.
