The “gatekeepers” … the security policy monsters expose the nakedness of Israel

The guards of Israel who watch over its security have decided to admit, in a self and collective review of the practices of the Israeli General Security Service (Shin Bet) and the policy that the Israeli governments have followed towards the Palestinians. Six former heads of this Israeli intelligence agency reveal in the documentary film “The Gatekeepers” Mysteries of the anti-terror policy that their country has followed since the Six Day War.

The Israeli director Dror Moreh’s film, which was nominated for the Oscar this year (2013) and sparked controversy in Israel when it was shown, presents a bold disclosure of the operations led by these six, reviews their successes and failures, and presents an in-depth vision of officials at the site of the decision and their frank admission that Israel’s security is in danger, Not because of the Palestinians, as they are usually said, but because of their leaders, and also because of the absence of strategy in Israeli policy in dealing with the Palestinian issue.

They announce the failure of the current policy and reach a state of political and strategic paralysis that calls for sitting around the table and understanding.

Forget the Palestinian issue … the maze of the war on terror

The film – produced by France and Israel – is based on several major issues such as titles. Six former heads of the Israeli agency in charge of internal security and combating terrorism, who rotated as presidents from 1980 to 2011, comment on them. The documentary adopts photos and films from the archive, many of which have not been published before. .

The film starts from the position on terrorism and the start of the Palestinian operations against the Israelis, operations that apparently allowed them to forget the Palestinian cause, in the words of “Avraham Shalom,” the head of the Shin Bet from 1980-1986, when he says: The development of terror allowed us to stop thinking about the Palestinian state.

“Shalom” criticizes the anti-terror policy that the Israeli governments have followed for it is “a tactic, not a strategy,” considering that all heads of government “did not care about the Palestinian people, from Meir to Peres, who did nothing too. The numbers were their concern, and in the depth there was an absence of any strategy “.

This axis also dealt with the way the Shin Bet obtained information from the Palestinians and the details of the brutal methods of torture as one of these methods, especially in the Jerusalem prison, which is the worst known to “Carmi Gilon” (1994-1996) as she put it. The Ottoman “would even be willing to admit that he killed the Messiah.”
Israeli director’s film “Dror Moreh” was nominated for an Oscar this year (2013) and sparked controversy in Israel when it was released.

“They call you wounded on the battlefield.” The crisis of confidence

In its second axis, the film returns to Operation Bus (300) hijacked in 1984, and the killing of two Palestinians during the attack by the anti-terrorist forces, and two others after their arrest.

The importance of this axis lies in the disclosure of the dispute that began to appear between the government and the Shin Bet, as the controversy arose over the beating of Palestinians, and accusing the Shin Bet of not respecting the legitimacy and laws Avraham Shalom, the then head of the Shin Bet, led to distrust the politicians, “they call you a wounded person on the battlefield.”

After a year of trying to surround the case with him, they declared, “We were not aware of it.” Shalom admits here that “there is no morality in fighting terrorism.”
The documentary adopts photos and films from the archive, many of which have not been published before

The first intifada … the longest wanted list in the world

In the third axis, the six presidents list their positions on the first intifada in 1987 and the Oslo agreement, and about the uprising, one of them admits, saying: Our offices blew up, the people are rising, we have not seen this before, what intelligence can not predict a major historical event?

Yaakov Berry (1988-1994) says: It was spontaneous from a people who wanted revolution and set us out.

And they tell their bewilderment in suppressing it, expressing that it was not possible to stop it except with real bullets or arrest, until they had the longest list of wanted names in all parts of the world.

The uprising led to the Oslo Accords, and this was not easy for them, as Eval Diskin (2005-2011) admits the matter, saying: How do I sit in front of those I was chasing? They are terrorists, but the Palestinian also looks at you and says: You are also a terrorist.

At that time, Diskin discovers that terrorism from one person’s point of view is resistance from the other’s point of view.
The film offers a bold exposition of the operations these six led

Peace-making negotiations … the failure of the military machine

The last axis raises the emergence of Israeli extremists and the killing of “Rabin” and settlement problems, and the emergence of new questions after Gaza, such as how to confront terror while they are no longer on the ground, and targeting Hamas leaders with killings. It cites the assassination of Yahya Ayyash as an example.

On each axis, there was a review process of Israeli policies, and interesting conclusions, such as an exaggeration in killing under the heading of security, the inability to make peace by military means, and a call for establishing trustful relations with the Palestinians, as Israel cannot condone negotiations with its enemies.

“Shalom” called for dialogue with everyone, even with Ahmadinejad, as there is no other choice.
In the third axis, the six presidents recount their positions on the First Intifada in 1987 and the Oslo Agreement

Israel’s security is in danger .. the fruits of retaliation policy

The confessions of the six presidents were not without feelings of guilt, as Gilon declares: We make the lives of millions of people unbearable, and let a new soldier decide what is permissible and what is not, this makes me sick.

These presidents have recounted to the lens their experiences, methods, and viewpoints in the current politics that they consider unethical and ineffective.

One of them states that “the final strikes of the Palestinians require hate and a series of revenge operations in the future.” They are demanding, as retired soldiers, the necessity to sit around the table and understand, because the security of Israel is in danger, and their country is blind and floundering in its policies, especially since the death of “Ra”

between”.
One of the Six Officers: “The Palestinian fatal strikes call for hate and a series of reprisals in the future.”

Talking ghosts .. surprise the Arab viewer

The strength of the film and its impact lies in the surprise, especially for the Arab viewer, so it is true that speech alone does not change the images, but he who has always heard about the brutality of these people sees them with their faces and voices, as they are the ones who perceived him as ghosts, but rather as goblins that simply utter the name of their institution raises fear and awe.

What is important in the film is not the information that was mentioned about their crimes, atrocities and remorse, and the evidence that there are Israelis who are shocked by what their country is doing. Technically speaking, but they are convinced of the opposite. They warn: Israel will not be saved in this way, and if it does not adopt a strategy then it is in danger. If there is no way out for the Palestinians, there is no way out for the Israelis.

The strength of this documentary is in its content, it is straightforward, surprising, and that may suffice.