To Die in Jerusalem

Today in class we watched an HBO documentary To Die in Jerusalem. To Die in Jerusalem is a story of two victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both were young women, with strong family backgrounds. On March 29, 2002 Ayat al-Akhras, an 18 year old Palestinian woman killed herself in a suicide bombing. The other victim was an 18 year old Israeli woman, Rachel Levy. In To Die in Jerusalem, the mothers of both women meet each other.
The film is successful in its attempt to humanize both victims; however the story is mainly focused on Rachel Levy’s mother’s struggle. This film shed light on the ignorance of so many of us, and the dehumanizing view we have of Palestinians. In the film, this point of view is unfortunately represented by Rachel’s mother. Adverse to her goal, Ayat’s mother and family are actually humanized in this film, and Rachel’s mother is in turn villianized to some extent. Her ignorance of the circumstances that drove Ayat to want to kill herself, and her unwillingness to understand detract from the compassion that one feels immediately after hearing her story. She is vengeful, resentful, and angry. In the beginning her feelings are justified, however once she decides she wants to meet Ayat’s mother these feelings intensify, and her compassion disappears.
This film speaks to those of us who are unaware of the many difficulties in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. It is eloquently made, and provides us with a humanizing insight into the Palestinian side of the conflict.