1. And worst of all - it in no way shows the actual misery of the Palestinians in 1967 Bordered occupied Palestine. It does not show those forced to live in refugee camps, it does not show those living in areas near Janin where there is no provision for underground sewage (as it has been disrupted by IDF damage) - where there is little or no employment and the water supply is restricted to the point that it is a terrible burden. The idea of ‘poverty’ the film shows you is a Laugh. As the film shows it there are many people in the U.S. much worse off or impoverished. And if you don’t know that is lie - what are you doing on this site?

1.A - In the far more true-to-life film produced with the help of and featuring many Jews -”Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land” put out by the Media in Education organization in Northampton Massachussets - an Israeli Jewish father whose daughter has been blown up by a suicide bomber, states that he can understand why Palestinians ground down, tortured and humiliated by the IDF; finallyfeel that So much has been taken from them that it is Better to die in defiance of the Occupation as a suicide bomber. The Real anger and despair that drives these youths is totally lacking from this pro-Israeli propaganda film.

2. This ‘film maker’ crassly insinuates that those who guide and facilitate suicide bombers are probably cynical manipulators out for their own gain. He has them Eating Pita Bread sandwiches while watching the ‘true-believer’ suicide bomber making his Death and Dedication last statement for the video film. If that doesn’t show you what perspective this film is coming from you are either ignorant of the situation or a Hasbara functionary.

3. There is only ONE unpleasant Israeli portrayed in this film - the checkpoint guard: and he is ONLY unpleasant in his staring looks. That’s it! No land-grabbing stick-beating ’settlers’. Just one guard with a bad look. Who are they kidding here folks? I hope not you. The Palestinians are treated to Far more than ‘bad’ looks.

Now if you think that Israelis do not torture and humiliate Palestinians go to the site of Israeli soldiers who have EXPOSED it and who Refuse to serve in the Israeli Army. www.couragetorefuse.org and see what decent Israelis have to say about that.

Do you see why they allowed this ‘Palestinian’ to make his film? “Paradise Now” is practically an endorsement of Israeli deprecation of suicide bombing as a form of patriotic resistance.

By the way, technically for an Israeli-view supporting film “Paradise Now” is a very Good film. Just don’t be deceived into thinking that this film gives a Palestinian point of view.

By the way I HAVE been to Israel. Yrs truly — Sam

This certainly is not a film from Palestinian suicide-bombing freedom-figher’s point of view.

This film could have been made by Ariel Sharon with a little technical help.

don’t waste your money or time on him, everyone already knows what he has to say; a bunch of lies and half facts put together in a fashion that promotes his opinion, which is that Islam is the evil of this world.

If you’re really interested in history (as in what really happened), then your best bet is to read a real history book from a real historian like Steven Runciman’s History of the Crusades.

Typo: it should read ‘overstated’ not ‘understated.’

I’d recommend the book by robert spencer, “the politically incorrect guide to islam (and the crusades)” to anybody interested in the so-called ‘golden age’ of islam. i think the book makes it quite clear the that the accomplishments of the muslim world have been greatly exaggerated and that the tolerance displayed in islamic societies towards religious minorities during this era has been greatly understated. many of the accomplishments cited as achievements of islamic civilization were the work of jews (maimonides, for example), byzantine christians living under muslim rule (such as the architecture that went into dome of the rock -even the craftsman were byzantines, in this instance) and arab christians (the translation of greek literature into arabic). much of so-called islamic civilization was a produced in spite of, rather than because of islam and as the book makes clear, it was the anti-intellectualism of islam that ultimately caused the decline of this civlization.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895260131/qid=1140300629/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-6216884-9397513?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Anyway, this is a discussion that needs to be put aside while we tackle the more important and pressing point, and that is Israel’s occupation and the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

I am curious as to whether you think Egypt, Syria, and Jordan should contribute to compensating the Palestinians

Yâ??all have got to stop the self-pity and blaming of everybody else for Islamâ??s own weaknesses.

This might be the one statement from you that I happen to agree with. Although I believe it’s not really Islam that has to be blamed for that either; it’s the people themselves who brought this upon themselves and have only themselves to blame, and change.

Islam has been put into a state of hybernation if you wanna call it. What you see today from the “muslim world” is Islam performing at much less than its potential.

Well if that is how you wish to live the rest of your life there is little I can do. But you must start accepting some responsibility for yourselves. I realize the Muslim world has a lot of difficulty in acknowledging its fall from the heights of the middle ages, but you need to live in 2006 not 1406. Y’all have got to stop the self-pity and blaming of everybody else for Islam’s own weaknesses.

Well let me tell you something, the arabs, thier ancestors, and those who identify themselves as palestinians… them and thier children, and all that will come next, WILL always stay and be in thier bubble of what ever you may call it, until the land is BACK. dig that? I think you do !

While in ordinary circumstances I might be sympathetic to your plight, in this context your ancestors made a hell of a lot of mistakes; mistakes that you cannot expect the Israelis to pick up the tab for decades later. They doggedly refused to accept a UN Partition, and have spent every day since changing identities, causing wars, invading Isreal over and over again, refusing ever to negotiate.

Now SIXTY years later you start banging on about a legally-useless UN General Assembly Resolution. Hun, it is a pity that y’all weren’t more keen to respect those Resolutions back then. 194 has been irrelevant for sixty years. You people have GOT to stop jumping all over the place and picking and choosing when you will agree to pay ball and when you won’t. At the moment, there is no way that someone like me who has no stake in this conflict can possibly take you serious. 194? Are you for real?

I can understand why Israel wouldn’t want a bar of you! You know since 1948 the world has kept turning, the Cold War has come and again, China has boomed..Meanwhile the Arabs and those who identify as “Palestinian” have remained in their own little bubble of denial.

It’s time to move on. You wanted to kill all the Jews. You lost. Big Time. Time for you to grow up and accept the umpire’s decision.

Peace.

seems to me L is of the “peace” camp that helps make israeli racism, cruelty, and injustice possible.

My energies are better placed working with activist groups in the US, educating US taxpayers, who foot the bill for Israel’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinians.

I do not believe, either, that it is “berating” someone who goes on boards and espouses peace to call them on the use of the term “Jewish neighborhood” for what is an illegal colony by international law.

Sorry, but I have no respect for young people who make a conscious decision to set up shop in a country that was built on the ashes of Palestine. Read Dr. Salman Abu Sitta and wise up. Marginalize me, call me hateful, vitriolic, violence prone, racist; I’ve heard it all… I’ve got no self-interest here; I’m happily settled in Germany and the US. My only interest is a passion for justice for Palestinians. Or as my father said, “It’s a shame what they did to those people.”

Sorry to tie up your board, Nas, and for straying off topic, but this really is THE topic, isn’t it?

the only way that resolution 194 will ever be implemented is if there are israelis who support its implementation. yelling at someone for moving to israel is not only senseless, it’s actually counter-productive. that’s why i asked what the point of your comments to her were.

Thanks Black Iris, you have been bookmarked!

My point is that bridge building among bloggers and chatting with the other in coffee shops, while it may get more hits for someone on his or her blog, has nothing to do with justice. Shouting from the rooftops that some Israelis put some bucks into Paradise Now isn’t going to effect justice. A call by Israelis for the implementation of UN Resolution 194, right of return for the Palestinians, will convince me that they’re sincere about peace. Anything less is no peace and will not lead to peace, and I think that the results of the election for the Palestinian Parliament bear that out.

And Hanan, I know that you work with Mubarak Awad; I have always admired Mubarak back from the time he wanted to covert to Judaism so that he could return to Palestine; his dad and my dad were friends in Ramallah.

what is the point of your last comment? after your link about the financing of the film (which was relevant), the rest of your comment is just an attack on lisa. what was the point of that? personally, i think it’s important to have people like her in israel if sanity is to ever come to that country.

“A resident of Amsterdam for two decades, Abu-Assad often receives funding from Dutch sources, although Paradise Now also got financing from Palestinian, German and French companies.”

http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/features/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001349097

It received the Berlinale Award for Best European Film.

Another good film is the documentary Route 181, which is co-directed by an Israeli and Palestinian. It makes a strong case for one unified country.

In spite of your penchant for Palestinian namedropping, Lisa, on your blog you refer to Gilo, an illegal settlement, as a “Jewish neighborhood.” How “peaceful” is that? It’s called the “language of dispossession.” People are getting fame and fortune working toward “peace.” “Peace” for a “piece.”

Meanwhile a poor twenty-five year old Palestinian woman, who has the misfortune to live near the border, was shot to death yesterday in Gaza while tending her goats so that transplanted yuppies may feel secure drinking cappucino in Tel Aviv. I am more concerned about her than I am that you have found a Palestinian actor with whom to speak Hebrew.

I question the sincerity of anyone who makes aliyah to Israel in light of two intifadehs, and in light of Israel’s refusal to implement UN Resolution 194. Hope that you continue to find “acceptable” Palestinians with whom to discourse and discourse and discourse until there’s nothing left for us to talk about anymore.

My point was that by fighting over labels we are missing an opportunity for dialogue. The fact is that (Jewish) Israelis invested in a controversial film about suicide bombers made by (Palestinian) Israelis. [I do not believe that any Palestinians (or other Arabs) invested in the film]. Publicizing this fact would be a call for peace. Ignoring it is almost like fanning the flames of the conflict. What a pity!

I’m delighted that “Paradise Now” was picked up for distribution by Warner Bros. and that it’s getting so much positive publicity. I was invited to the film’s opening night in Tel Aviv, where it is still playing every night at the Cinematheque, and had a fascinating conversation with Kais (in Hebrew) after the screening. He’s a lovely guy and I’m so glad that both he and Ali (who was acting in a Hebrew version of “The Tempest” at the Arab-Hebrew theatre in Jaffa until very recently) are seeing the international success they deserve. I hope it continues.

I have many “1948″ friends in Israel; a few of them live in my neighbourhood in Tel Aviv and we hang out at the same cafes. Some call themselves Palestinian-Israelis, some prefer Arab-Israeli and others Palestinians of Israeli nationality. I have no problem with any of those labels; it is human nature to seek an identity.

I also think that the people who oppose the Palestine tag at the Oscars are misguided. I hope that one day soon there really will be a state of Palestine, and that there is a foreign film entry tagged Palestine/Israel.

By the way, one of the first interviews given by Hany Abu Asad after he won the Golden Globe was to Guy Pines, the host of an Israeli nightly entertainment show. Pines called Hany to congratulate him and broadcast the interview live.

if symbols were being swapped around and no one suffered because of it, i don’t think there would be a problem. the suffering is the problem. whether the line in the program listing the home country of a film includes the word “authority” after it, doesn’t