The Messiah Will Always Come
Director Lea Klibanoff
Countries Israel
Duration 54 min
Synopsis
Background In 1967, war broke out between Israel and its neighboring countries. During the war, Israel conquered the territories of Judea and Samaria. Today, close to 300,000 Israeli citizens live in these occupied territories. The driving force behind the settlements is the National-Religious community in Israel. They see the settlements as a stage in the process of redemption. According to international law, the legality of these settlements is most controversial, and their existence is subject to much public debate, within Israel itself. Synopsis “The Messiah will always come” - says Hagit, as she looks out upon the growing number of caravans in the settlements, the paving of illegal roads, and the confiscation of land owned by local Palestinians. She explains that the Messiah is something to which we must aspire, that even if there will never be complete justice, we must always strive for it. Hagit Ofran is the "Peace Now" (the Israeli Peace movement) Settlement Watch Project Director for the past three years. As part of her responsibilities, she drives around Judea and Samaria in her jeep, all alone, monitoring settlement development. She closely records the development and expansion of the settlements and outposts, photographing each and every detail. In the process she meets Palestinians, trying to learn from them more about the situation. Hagit is convinced that the settlements perpetuate the occupation and the injustice she sees, injustice caused by the Religious-Zionist camp which she herself hails from. Hagit’s unending journey brings her face-to-face, time and again, with the settlers and their religious-ideological acts. The mission raises the reasons that led to her decision to stop being religiously observant, and exposes the pain and rage she feels toward the contemporary religious community in Israel. She feels that they are not sensitive to the rights of others, those who do not belong to their community. But through all of this, the journey also brings her into contact with her deep connection to Judaism and to her love for the land of Israel, the land she crosses in her travels.
Background In 1967, war broke out between Israel and its neighboring countries. During the war, Israel conquered the territories of Judea and Samaria. Today, close to 300,000 Israeli citizens live in these occupied territories. The driving force behind the settlements is the National-Religious community in Israel. They see the settlements as a stage in the process of redemption. According to international law, the legality of these settlements is most controversial, and their existence is subject to much public debate, within Israel itself. Synopsis “The Messiah will always come” - says Hagit, as she looks out upon the growing number of caravans in the settlements, the paving of illegal roads, and the confiscation of land owned by local Palestinians. She explains that the Messiah is something to which we must aspire, that even if there will never be complete justice, we must always strive for it. Hagit Ofran is the "Peace Now" (the Israeli Peace movement) Settlement Watch Project Director for the past three years. As part of her responsibilities, she drives around Judea and Samaria in her jeep, all alone, monitoring settlement development. She closely records the development and expansion of the settlements and outposts, photographing each and every detail. In the process she meets Palestinians, trying to learn from them more about the situation. Hagit is convinced that the settlements perpetuate the occupation and the injustice she sees, injustice caused by the Religious-Zionist camp which she herself hails from. Hagit’s unending journey brings her face-to-face, time and again, with the settlers and their religious-ideological acts. The mission raises the reasons that led to her decision to stop being religiously observant, and exposes the pain and rage she feels toward the contemporary religious community in Israel. She feels that they are not sensitive to the rights of others, those who do not belong to their community. But through all of this, the journey also brings her into contact with her deep connection to Judaism and to her love for the land of Israel, the land she crosses in her travels.