JTA
‘Israelism,’ the progressive Jewish documentary roiling college campuses, gets digital release with Watermelon Pictures
Andrew Lapin
June 5, 2024

They wanted to capture a growing Jewish generational divide over Israel. The Jewish makers of “Israelism” accomplished that — and then some. Over the last seven months, the documentary critiquing the American Jewish relationship to Israel has become something closer to a foundational text for the campus pro-Palestinian movement. It’s been screened at more than 100 colleges, including several encampments. It has toured overseas and won support from an array of Jewish groups on the left, from the liberal J Street to avowed anti-Zionists. Fights over campus screenings have spilled over into public view, fueling the film’s accusations that the institutional Jewish community is incapable of weathering any criticism of Israel. This week, following some previous small windows of online availability, “Israelism” is getting a full digital release. A movie made to prompt a difficult Jewish conversation is now being distributed by Watermelon Pictures, a Palestinian-owned company…READ MORE

I’m embedding this trailer to help explain the problem with this film. It appears to follow a predictable narrative selectively removing facts and context in order to dishonestly frame the Arab-Israel conflict. The premise: The Palestinians are peace-yearning hapless victims lacking agency and the Israelis are cruel violent oppressors who have stolen the Palestinian’s land. Said differently, propaganda to demonize Zionists and diminish support for Israel.