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Liz and I went to a screening of Behind Enemy Lines as part of the Seattle Jewish Film Festival tonight. Some thoughts...

Wait.. first, a synopsis.

The film was excellent, not for it's production or execution, but for presenting a truly unique perspective on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Personal, gut-wrenching, and relatively even-handed, it leaves many more questions than it answers, as most good documentaries do.

Of note was the sign on the door to the Cinerama, which alerted patrons that all bags would be subject to search, a chilling reminder of how volatile a subject the film deals with. Also noted: nearly every single person in Seattle's Jewish community seems to know every other. There is a very distinct common culture and style among many American Jewish communities - I was reminded constantly of people I knew growing up in Northwest Baltimore. Finally, the Israeli police officer featured in the film, Benny, wears a t-shirt for the last 20 minutes or so that reads, "FBI - Female Body Inspector" like he's a 16 year old at Daytona Beach in 1987.

As for the meat of the matter, that conflict is... how do you say... a giant fucking mess. It's hard to imagine a peaceful resolution when the beliefs of the two sides are so fundamentally opposed. When each side sees the other as an infidel, an evil presence on their holy soil, what common ground can be reached? Each side displays the exact same stubbornness, ironically born of nearly the same ideas. This is their land, and they will die before they are run off of it.

I have to fall back to my position on this issue, first laid out when I announced my bid for the presidency over 2 years ago: No one gets to live there. It's a basic parenting technique. If you can't share, nobody gets it. The holy land becomes an International Peace City or something; you can go visit, but you can't stay. Go, say your prayers, kiss your wall, buy a nice souvenir, and go home. Don't make me turn this car around.