This 2012 documentary film by Dror Moreh interviews the last six Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) intelligence chiefs. Much has been made in Israel that "spooks should not speak." Their revelations are compelling. Some Israelis gave high praise. Rafi Gamzu, Israel Foreign Ministry, called film "proof of the highest order of Israeli democracy." Moreh decided that Netanyahu poses a great threat to the existence of Israel. Politicians prefer binary solutions in the war against terror, but those in charge of eradicating terror deal daily in grey. The film starts in 1967 with the Six Day War.
The film consists of 7 chapters:
1. No Strategy, Just Tactics. After the Six Day War, the terrorists were gone (the dog could no longer chase the rabbit), so the Israelis decided to do a census in the Territories. Much effort was spent in learning spoken and literary Arabic. Unfortunately, Jinna nehsikum ("We come to count you") sounds a whole lot like Jinna nekhsikum ("We come to castrate you"). Ultimately, terrorism appeared in Nablus, with many training in Syria (sounds familiar in the modern world of ISIS), but while terrorism was mitigated, the problem of the Occupation remained. Meir and Begin paid little attention to Palestine.
2. Forget About Morality. Shin Bet recruited informants in the 1982 Lebanon War, under leadership of Avraham Shalom, who basically did whatever he wanted. The No. 300 bus incident is recounted (1984) in which 4 terrorists hijacked the bus en route from Tel Aviv to Gaza, in which the Army beat to death two of the hijackers. Shin Bet had no such concept as illegal order, when the killings were made public Shin Bet was accused of operating above the law. Yet Shamir gave Shin Bet authority to kill. It was Avraham Shalom, who resigned in disgrace in 1986.
3. One Man's Terrorist is Another Man's Freedom Fighter. The First Intafada was insurrection with no precedent. The Oslo Accords recognized Israel's right to exist by the PLO. Tel Aviv bus bombing in 1995 was start of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
4. Our Own Flesh and Blood. Illegal West Bank settlements began in 1974 in reaction to the Government policies under Rabin. Moreover the Government ignored the settlements. In 1980, a Fatah cell blew up a synagogue in Hebron. The Jews responded with revenge attacks on the Nablus mayor Bassam Shaka'a and Ramallah mayor Kasim Halaf. Everyone knew the Jews were instigators. Shin Bet had no records on Jews, it was a wake up call to identify the Jewish Underground. Shin Bet foiled an attempt to bomb 250 Arabs on Arab buses in Jerusalem, they caught them in the act. They also foiled a plan to blow up the Dome of the Rock with Semtex. The entire Islamic world, including Iran and Indonesia would have waged war against Israel. Nevertheless, Shamir signed the Clemency Law for the Underground. Yigal Amir (Israeli extremist, Jew) assassinates Rabin on Nov 4, 1995 - a punk can eliminate entire peace process.
5. Victory is to See You Suffer. Shin Bet was in crisis after Rabin's death. Protecting against terror no longer enough. Relying on force rather than brains a poor strategy. Shift from field operations to computer monitors (see film poster). Meetings with Palestinian intelligence improved terror rate. After Rabin, Israeli leadership lost interest in peace initiatives. Israel wanted more security and got terror. Palestine wanted a State and got more settlements. After 50 years, Palestinians achieved a balance of power. Israel's F-16s vs. the suicide bomber.
6. Collateral Damage. Yahya Ayyash was brilliant improvised explosive expert and most wanted man in Israel. Shin Bet arranged for his execution through a smuggled cell phone laden with explosives (Jan 5, 1996). Two months later, the whole country exploded. Collateral damage or inevitable ? Banality of Evil issues relevant to collateral damage.
7. The Old Man at the End of the Corridor. This phrase refers to Ben-Gurion. Avraham Shalom refers to Israel as modern day Germany occupying territories. Final film thought - Israel is winning most battles but losing the war.
Rudoren (NYT) opines: The Occupation is immoral and ineffective. Israel should withdraw from West Bank as it did from Gaza in 2005. The prospect of a 2-state solution diminishes daily, threatening the future of Israel as a Jewish democracy.
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