Palestine: Paradise Now

I think Paradise Now is an extremely important film. It represents a credible, sincere voice for the Palestinian people and their struggles, one that was recognized on platforms the likes of the Golden Globe and Academy Awards. Granted, these aren’t powerful entities, nor are they policy making bodies, but nonetheless, they are vehicles for an important film such as Paradise Now to capture the attention of an international audience.

Palestinian life is bleak. Unemployment runs rampant. Resources are controlled and doled out by Israeli settlers. Palestinians are cordoned off like subclass citizens, segregated from the Israelis. Hatred for the Israelis is extreme—militant. Any Palestinian who advocates peace between groups is considered a traitor and subject to execution.  The removal or elimination of Israeli settlers is foremost in Palestinian thought.

Palestinians live in bombed out, graffiti’d, filthy environs. The Isrealis, in contrast, live among high rises and vacation resort -like conditions. The Palestinians exist each day in lack and poverty. Israelis lead pretty comfortable middle to upper class lives.

Unemployment, anger, and frustrattion with a population that has nothing to lose is a recipe for violence. Thus, acts of terrorism are social norms in Palestinian life. The Palestinians have no other weapon to wield against the Israeli settlers except their bodies, their lives. Hamas selects its suicide bomber candidates and the candidates are honored to oblige. To refuse the honor is to be a coward, possibly a traitor.

Thus, Paradise Now is a film that traces the lives of two young male suicide bomber candidates, and their preparation and execution of an attack. My interpretation of the film's ending is that the attack occurred, though we don’t see it. But the direction of the ending was unambiguous: the suicide bomber appeared unequivocally invested in his task, and totally justified in executing it. The scene was unapologetic. My conclusion is the Palestinian people will continue to fight (as well they should, in my opinion) and the violence will never end.

Does terrorism work? Well, yes—sort of. It drains resources. It puts a dent in a system’s funds and opportunities—so yes, there is some victory and purpose to it.  I don’t think it’s anyone place to make value judgments for the Palestinians. It is not fair to criticize or condemn since we have no common frame of reference.