Timothy Stoner

LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM: The Tour

Posted on 11. Sep, 2010 by Tim Stoner in Culture, Justice, Movie Recommendations

There is no shortage of passionate opinions regarding “finding lasting peace in the Middle East.” This is one of those hot-button topics that seem to invite extremist rhetoric and action. Pastor Terry Jones with his threat of burning 200 copies of the Koran is but one of a train-load of irate true-believers whose zeal on this issue seems to exceed all rational bounds. And, whether justified or not, the flash point for the vitriol narrows itself down inevitably to Israel, a nation smaller than Lake Superior, and scattered slivers of land known as the “occupied territories” filled with Palestinian refugees. 

A few months back, Helen Thomas, the unofficial dean of the White House press corps retires (at 89) under pressure. The cause of her leaving is her caustic remark that “Jews should get the hell out of Palestine, and go home to Germany, Poland and America and everywhere else.” In May Israeli commandos attack a Turkish flotilla carrying humanitarian cargo for Palestinians refugees in Gaza, killing eight civilians. And, after a two-year interruption, peace talks between Netanyahu and Abbas renew but threaten to run afoul on the vexed issue of settlements.

The Arab/Israeli – Muslim/Christian axes of hostility seem to be burning as hot today as they ever have. They remain front-page news. One wonders whether they will ever not be, and if these intractable ethnic and religious polarities will ever find some kind of peaceful co-existence. 

The impression given by the world media is that there is not the slightest glimmer of hope for a just and peaceful resolution. But this ignores a growing movement that shows promise of making a way for the coming–if not for the Prince of Peace–but the ways of peace that He exemplified. It is as fragile as a candle-flame but it has shown resilience. And it is expanding as it sets others ablaze and may possibly grow into a bonfire.

In the early 80’s, Mubarak Awad, a Palestinian Christian studying in the U.S., was deeply impacted by the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi. He returned to Israel in 1985 to establish the Palestinian Centre for the Study of Nonviolence. Because he resisted the Israeli military occupation using the principles and tactics of his heroes he became known as the Arab Gandhi. He was deported in 1988.

Six years later, Ayed Morrar, a soft-spoken activist following Mubarak’s example, initiated the most successful nonviolent initiative against Israeli occupation of the West Bank. It took place in the village of Budrus and was a protest against the massive barrier that Israel was building along the borders of the occupied territories. What made it unique was that it was predominantly led by women and was truly nonviolent (rock throwing was prohibited). The women persevered despite being beaten and fired on with rubber bullets until the Israeli government gave in and re-routed the path of the “security fence.”

And for the past several years, in growing numbers, Israelis are joining their lights to the flame in hopes of sparking a peaceful conflagration that will burn away fear and hatred and extinguish the interminable cycles of hostility that have plagued the region. This little-known but growing nonviolence movement is the subject of Little Town of Bethlehem, a ground-breaking documentary scheduled to be released in October.

Unlike so many films about this crisis, what sets this one apart is that it refuses to take sides. Award-winning director Jim Hanon describes what prompted the project. “There are countless films about the conflict and injustices from the perspective of either side. But where is the hope? We asked ourselves, ‘If there is something in the conflict that points to greater humanity, what is it?’ This film is not about who is right or wrong, but rather about seeking the humanity in both sides.”

Filmed on location in the West Bank, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem, Little Town of Bethlehem shares the gripping story of three men—born into sectarian violence and on opposite sides of the conflict, yet willing to risk everything to embrace a non-violent solution to the hostility tearing their homelands apart. Their paths intersect in Bethlehem and as Hanon explains, “gives rise to this obvious question, in the city where it is said God became man can Israelis and Palestinians see each other as human?”

In order to avoid any bias the subjects are allowed to tell their storied unscripted and unrehearsed. What results is a unique film that addresses one of the most divisive issues of our time with honesty and objectivity.

Sami Awad is a Palestinian Christian whose grandfather was killed by an Israeli sniper during the 1948 war. Mubarak is his uncle. Sami is now the executive director of Holy Land Trust, a non-profit organization that promotes Palestinian independence through peaceful means. Ahmad Al’Azzeh is a Palestinian Muslim who has lived his entire life in a refugee camp in Bethlehem. He heads the nonviolence program at Holy Land Trust, training others in the methods of peaceful activism. 

The third subject of the film is perhaps the most colorful. Yonatan Shapira flew missions for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) as a helicopter pilot. In 2003 he drafted what has become known as The Pilots’ Letter. It was signed by 26 other pilots, one of them a brigadier general, and declared their refusal to fly missions into the occupied territories. Now, as co-founder of Combatants for Peace, a bi-national group of mostly ex-fighters, he is an outspoken advocate for nonviolence.

He was recently in the news for spraying the messages “Free Gaza and Free Palestine” and “Liberate all ghettos” on the remnants of the Warsaw Ghetto wall. He explained that he was not equating the monstrosity of the Nazi death camps with the occupied territories but he hoped that those who visit the site, “will remember that oppression is oppression, occupation is occupation, and crimes against humanity are crimes against humanity, whether they have been committed here in Warsaw or in Gaza.”

Little Town of Bethlehem was produced by EthnoGraphic Media (EGM). Mart Green, is the founder and CEO. He is the son of Dave Green, who founded Hobby Lobby. EGM’s goal is to address some of the most volatile issues in the world from fresh creative angles. Its primary demographic is 18 to 25 year olds.

Their studies showed that to reach their audience their films should enter existing communities rather than attempt to create communities. As a result, a grassroots movement is under way focused on screening Little Town of Bethlehem on college campuses “from Boston to Berkeley and beyond.” Nine campuses have been selected to host the film followed by a panel discussion with the three protagonists, the film director and producer. They will also engage with faculty experts regarding the conflict and nonviolence.

I have been asked to travel with the team and write about the venues, the personalities and responses to the film on the various campuses. The launch window for the campus screenings is set for September 21, the U.N. International Day of Peace, and ends on October 2, Gandhi’s birthday, the U.N. International Day of Nonviolence. 

The premier screening will be held at Boston College on Tuesday night, followed by Rhode Island University, Riverside Church in New York, Georgetown University, and the National Cathedral on Saturday, September 25. The tour then moves to the Midwest and on Monday the 27^th is hosted by De Paul University in Chicago. The next day we are at Wayne State University in Detroit, and on Wednesday, Oklahoma Christian University. After a flight to the West Coast, on Thursday we will be at the George Lucas Building on the USC campus and on Friday the tour concludes at U.C. Berkeley.

Over 150 other campuses will be screening the film during and after the 12-day launch window. It will also be shown at various locations in England, India and Australia. If you are interested in attending or hosting a screening, there is further information on their website: http://littletownofbethlehem.org.

And of course, if you are wish to follow the progress of the Little Town tour that is where the daily blogs will be posted.

Tags: 1948 war, Combatants for Peace, conflict, documentary, Ghandi, Israel, Jr., Martin Luther King, nonviolence, Palestine, Pilots Letter, Yonatan Shapira