this documentary is long overdue. Its a subject & option that many would rather remains buried, obscured or disabled under maximum misrepresentation. Besides some bias, omission & selective brevity (particularly regarding settler hate-crimes & terrorism), its actually a very’ very good & extremely important piece of work. Collecting old footage from the era, diary entries from both parties & most incredibly – current reflections from some of the key negotiators. The latter makes for some extraordinary footage & transcends the politics, & – perhaps even national/racial identities of the participants, for a more purely humanist ascension (at least that’s what I took from some of it). The testimony is profound & having it so well captured on camera & committed to a decent documentary format is of great value. In 1992, two Israeli academics (both history professors) – Ron Pundak & Yair Hirschfeld decided to devise a ‘secret’ direct diplomatic channel & convene with representatives of the Palestinian PLO that were to take place covertly in Norway with the objective of founding a peace accord between both sides.

Incredibly, over 3 years & with massive difficulty, both dichotomies managed to succeed on a historic agreement which was publicly ratified. & then came the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin by terrorist Jewish supremacist Yigal Amir that catalyzed the ceaseless pugnacious onslaught & hard-right political takeover led by one of the words most committed warmongers – Benjamin Netanyahu.

The irenic solution was butchered & burned & everything since has basically been a worsening scenario that seems to feed off its own negativity. There is a huge wealth to take from here, but this documentary is particularly significant to me as it demonstrates intense diplomacy. Diplomacy, in its true form (when the actual intentions, will & attempts are all vehement & sincere), is one of the highest human functions. Perhaps that’s why we see so little of it beside the specious version of posture, feint & circus. Such capacity or demonstrations of the like would once have been a reason why an individual would have been nominated/approved/trusted in a representative position.

These days, the plague of atrocious, hideously damaged & visibly-deranged right-wing necrophiles that fume you can arrest, bash, bomb, blow-up, kill, invade or intern your way out of any problem (even though those exact malpractices & crimes may well be precisely what has created the current ailment) seem to be having a moment.

How ironic though that such lunacy, shit-think & farce erupts in popularity as the ship goes-down. Delusion blossoms in the die-out. For the young fuckers that want a good lead on a more advanced (& actually effective) alternative & an insight in to why politics was once thought of as a good idea, here is a great example – despite all the complexity involved. A very precious piece of film.

Directors – Mor Loushy & Daniel Sivan.

HBO Documentary Films/Medalia Productions.