Many reviews of Anglo-Jewish filmmaker Gillian Mosely’s documentary, The Tinderbox: Israel and Palestine – The Untold Story, highlight that it raises uncomfortable questions, mostly for the pro-Israel camp. (See JW3, Jewish News and various film critic reviews, and a discussion with Mosely at Oxford University Middle East Centre).
A fact based, emotionally and politically neutral look at the roots and history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, it presents a remarkably balanced and honest take on the events that led to the creation of Israel and the subsequent grossly unbalanced status of the two sides as they currently stand.
However, aside from the uncomfortable questions raised by the film for those who feel Israel can do no wrong, there is also a striking observation to make about the actual making of the film itself: someone raised as a Zionist made this documentary.
This raises an obvious question: why, how come?
Mosely explains it is because she later came to question what she was taught to believe. Yet though the actual details of why Mosely made this shift will be of interest, they are not of direct interest here. What is of great interest here is what Zionists and those in unquestioning support of Israel’s actions have to say about the fact of such a dramatic change. How do they explain it?
Although Mosely is by far not the first Zionist to have the scales fall from her eyes to gradually see the world in a different light, (one example being the American journalist and former liberal Zionist Peter Beinart), her film is perhaps the clearest and most accessible testimony of such a colossal shift from early indoctrination to later truth and fact, as well as the honesty and courage that go along with making that shift.
What then do Zionists and loyal, uncritical supporters of Israel have to say about those who abandon their side to embrace not the other side, but truth and fairness?
One of the most frequent explanations for the shift is the “self-hating Jew” syndrome. This consists of the supposed weariness of being a Jew, of finally succumbing to the pernicious lies of antisemitism and wishing to cover one’s Jewishness by assimilating, for which adopting views opposed to Zionism, and distancing themselves from their Jewishness even, is proof of their sameness to non-Jews. Therefore, they will be accepted by them, and also hailed as “good Jews”.
The epithet of “self-hater” is not in fact offered as an explanation, but rather is leveled by Zionists as an accusation at any Jew who dares speak the truth. Or in Mosely’s case, simply document the truth without even commenting on it judgmentally. Mosely will undoubtedly be weathering a lot of flak of this type, though she will likely be smart enough to realise that far from being a reason to feel shame and recant her errant ways, it is confirmation of just how right she is.