In the shadow of occupation, every step forward is a testament to the resilience of a people who cling to the hope of a peaceful and dignified existence.
~Raja Shehadeh
This really happened. The most grotesque thing you could imagine (until the next thing, at least). This is indeed the TRUTH that Donald Trump posted this morning. He wasn't hacked, and it wasn't a hoax. In what more auspicious possible circumstance could I return to write the first post on this blog since I left things off nearly a year ago?
This film is set in Haifa, Israel's third city, which has always been thought of as one of the more normal places in Israel, as far as "normal" goes anyway in that country. It's more mixed and more secular than either the Greater Tel Aviv area (taken as a whole) or Jerusalem. Buses mostly run on Saturdays, and the admittedly not so large Arab minority lives relatively harmoniously next to the Jewish majority.
There may well be people who were initially drawn to this blog by a list of Palestinian films, and who then after a couple of taps or clicks have found themselves looking at a post about a film depicting life in the Israeli army. Some of those people who land here unknowingly will immediately leave in a big disgusted huff, but hopefully a few will linger on this page and give me a chance here.