Documentary, 2008
Director: Michael Yohay
USA/ English
77 minutes
Here famed, outspoken attorney Alan Dershowitz presents a defense for the State of Israel in both its creation and its actions since in the face of increasing criticism from the international community and media.
I was excited to see this piece, particularly with a professor from Harvard Law School, where I attended, at the helm. However, I have to say this would have been far more interesting if it were more objective.
With Dershowitz being the advocate he is, it was up to the filmmakers to balance the rhetoric. Now, granted, the title clearly states that this is a pro-Israel piece, but sometimes when the bias is just too thick and one side is always wrong and the other always justified, it loses some credibility and has you as the audience wanting more and more to hear the other side so you can decide each point for yourself. At times it becomes a pure bashing of former president Jimmy Carter for daring to write a book criticizing the treatment of the Palestinians in the first place.
It is an interesting starting point for discussion, but it never reaches the level of true debate and leaves you definitely wanting more information and differing viewpoints.
Lucy Cruell