A New (Nuanced) view of the Two-State Solution

September 10, 2006 5:05 PM

Last night I saw this short film at the Breckenridge Film Festival which was an inspired and low-key effort at encouraging the two-state solution to The Problem. You can watch the video if you can watch a thirty-minute movie on your computer (I can't), or you can order a free copy to watch and hopefully share.
posted by kozad (10 comments total)

I got to say hi to the star of the film, who retired from the presidency of Earlham College (a Quaker college in Indiana) the same year I dropped out. 1973.

I thought he was a pretty old man then: I'm guessing he passed ninety a few years ago and is definitely not a retired peacemaker.
posted by kozad at 5:10 PM on September 10, 2006

Looks good - I can't watch it tonight, but have bookmaked it for later. Just wanted to say thanks for the tip.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:20 PM on September 10, 2006

I love how "Earlham College" is almost always qualified as "A Quaker College."

A while back a friend told me about Bolling's film, so thanks for the link. I'll definitely be checking it out.
posted by shoepal at 6:22 PM on September 10, 2006

Thanks.
posted by dobbs at 7:28 PM on September 10, 2006

The two state solution is a joke.
posted by delmoi at 7:59 PM on September 10, 2006

Delmoi: The current situation's kinda hysterical too. Care to share the punchline of your percieved joke?
posted by lalochezia at 8:44 PM on September 10, 2006

I was at the same show! That evening, I felt the film portrayed the most balanced summary of the dilemma facing the Israelis and the Palestinians that I've seen since I came to my own conclusions on a visit to Israel 30 years ago. It was quite moving. Delmoi:is there an alternative to a two state solution besides the eventual genocide of the Palestinians?
posted by Carmody'sPrize at 9:15 PM on September 10, 2006

the two state solution is not a joke but an illusion. this film attempts to present a 'balanced' opinion which is in reality completely unbalanced. It is not Jews, Christians and Muslims. It is Jews/Zionist, Christians and Muslims. Zionism is a political ideology not a religion just as Hezbullan is a political entity (or Hamas for that matter). One cannot talk about peace without getting their facts clear and simple. And, if he wants to talk about root causes than I think going back before 1949 might be more useful.

hard rain
posted by hard rain at 5:18 AM on September 11, 2006

hard rain, we don't sign our posts around here (because, hey, they're already signed for us.)

Signed,
Todd Lokken.
posted by five fresh fish at 12:01 PM on September 11, 2006

hard rain, point taken. Many of us conversationally collapse Jew, Christian, Muslim with a political faction representing a particular point of view. However, it's not bigotry. All of these political entities (everywhere) use identity language to undermine clear thinking about these problems. I fall for it once in awhile. Asserting that the two state solution is an illusion is no different than asserting it's a joke. Thank you for sharing. You also assert the film is unbalanced. In what way specifically? Seemed pretty balanced to me. Palestinians kill Israeli's. Israelis kill Palestinians. Plenty of justification on both sides. The fight is assymetric so different tactics are used. Plenty of pain and suffering on both sides. Both sides think they are right. Peace demands that both sides give something up. What's the problem? The filmmakers are not idealistic children, they are old men who think the killing should stop. Agree? Disagree?
posted by Carmody'sPrize at 9:26 AM on September 12, 2006