«Our bible is the only document that matters.» Daniella Weiss, a neatly groomed middle-aged lady, looks straight into the camera and smiles. She is one of the leaders of the Israeli settler movement called Hilltop Youth, an organisation dedicated to the appropriation of Palestinian territory. She doesn’t even try to hide her pride as she explains the terror tactics of what the authors of this eye-opening documentary have defined as «the most successful land grab strategy since the 1967 war.»
Filming the people one disagrees with
Documentaries in which the filmmakers don’t share the views of those portrayed in the film are particularly challenging to make. Holy Redemption is such a film. The crew from TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, the national public broadcaster of Turkey) spent 22 days interviewing the Israeli settlers and their leaders on the occupied West Bank. Their main preoccupation was to have the necessary permits and avoid getting killed. Their questions were formulated with caution. With few exceptions, such as Ehud Olmert, former Primer Minister of Israel, who defined the radical Hilltop Youth leaders as «a natural product of the alliance between Bibi Netanyahu and messianic groups,» their interlocutors are proud of what they do. Without the slightest hesitation, they explained their tactics in detail.
Documentaries in which the filmmakers don’t share the views of those portrayed in the film are particularly challenging to make.
In the name of God
The basic procedure is always the same. The settlers move inland, in vans or buses, ever deeper into the Palestinian land. One family and a few youngsters take a hilltop, sleeping in the vehicle at the start, and begin harassing the Palestinians all around it. They gradually build a more stable dwelling and start growing sheep or some other flock, and violently push the Palestinians away from their farmland. The testimonies in Holy Redemption are accompanied by archival material documenting the ruthless violence involved. It is, claim settlers, performed in the name of God. «I believe in the Bible, and I believe that the land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel. This is God’s promise to Abraham. And the land of Israel includes all this land,» says one of the Hilltop Youths. Yes, confirms Daniella Weiss with a nod of understanding; it means parts of Syria and many other states. But «we have our Bible. This is the only document that matters.» And adds with a smile, «We do want to try to do it as much as possible hand in hand with the nations of the world. But when the nations are too tough with us, then we do have some liberal measures we live by.»
State sponsored violence
If one would like to believe that these are just a bunch of extremists, Holy Redemption brings proof of the contrary. This is, claims Israeli Human Rights Lawyer Michael Sfard, state-sponsored violence. Settlers are acting with the full support of the state of Israel, one of the reasons being that, as they are occupying the entire areas of the West Bank, they are making sure that these areas can’t become a possible future Palestinian State. Many settler leaders hold seats in Knesset, the Israeli parliament, including some former radical and violent settlers, such as Tzvi Sukkot, who is now a member of the Religious Zionism party and a resident of Yitzhar, one of the most violent settlements. Its residents are permanently harassing the neighbouring Palestinian villages. The Holy Redemption crew documented the presence of the Israeli army, protecting the settlers in the area. Later in the film, they reveal that settlers get to wear army uniforms and are even trained in how to perform the harassment. The interviews with the former members of the Israel Defence Forces also confirm their active involvement in violent acts against civilians. Yet, even those former soldiers who decided to testify about these acts, when asked if they would like to apologize to Palestinians for what they did, replied negatively.
Many settler leaders hold seats in Knesset
A look ahead
The TRT planned this doc before 7 October 2023. They started filming in the occupied West Bank two months into the war on Gaza. One of the last episodes is the conference of the main settler organisations in a settlement close to Gaza. The conference’s purpose was to select the first Jewish families to settle there. As Palestinians in Gaza were being killed and starved to death, Israeli settlers were already discussing how much land each family would take. A small settler boy, looking at the city in flames in the distance, with a voice full of anticipation and hope, calls «Gaza!» The kid’s healthy cheeks, kippah, and curls together can’t attenuate the cruelty of this call. But the creepy contrast between the innocent creature and the barbarism of their desire makes a proper ending to this courageous and straightforward documentary, a persuasive warning that the situation is worse than the worst expectations.
