69 million page views

You asked about The Gatekeepers

Reader comment on item: Erdoğan's Decade as Prime Minister of Turkey
in response to reader comment: Who Knows

Submitted by Ron Thompson (France), Mar 15, 2013 at 08:34

to John McGinley

I went to see The Gatekeepers over its first week-end and found it intriguing and useful.

While it is advertised as showing six former heads of Shin Bet opposed to Israel's policies toward the Palestinians, I found the documentary much more subtle and complicated than that simplistic, erroneous characterization.

Whatever Dror Moreh intended, I saw his effort as about men of action and conscience trying to deal with difficult moral issues imposed on them by a foe governed by an ideology sanctioning mindless brutality and emphatically, even proudly, without any conscience at all.

For every dovish statement by each individual, the same man in another part of the documentary showed himself resolute, bold, and unapologetic in acting to protect Israelis and Israel's national security.

Possibly the most interesting statement was made by a member of a Palestinian delegation who went up to the head of Shin Bet at a meeting in London and said, "You don't understand us at all. Victory for us is making you suffer." Nothing else is necessary for us (paraphrase). Including this chilling quote was something of a saving grace for the filmmaker, given his overall critical tilt.

There was even a humorous element, in the description of the decision-making behind one dramatic event. The Israelis were debating the use of a one-ton bomb to take out a "dream team" of Hamas leaders meeting together in a densely urban area of Gaza when Sharon (of all people) vetoed the use of more than a quarter ton bomb, in order of course, to minimize or prevent civilian deaths.

And the result was exactly what dissidents to his decision predicted. The bomb demolished the second story of the building, but since the targets were on the first floor, none became casualties as they fled in all directions.

I strongly recommend The Gatekeepers (which had an audience of about two-thirds capacity in a Bethesda, MD theatre).

Ron Thompson

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

Reader comments (21) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Erdogan's "Neo-Ottoman" Ambitions [121 words]Scott CraigSep 17, 2020 09:42260469
1"Is Erdogan losing touch with reality?" by Kadri Gursel, Columnist, Turkey Pulse, Almonitor [56 words]LudvikusJan 17, 2015 09:23220441
1TURKEY İS GUİLTY OF THE GENOCİDE COMMİTTED İN WEST ARMENIA. [755 words]HakiApr 9, 2013 09:08205041
1TURKEY NEEDS ISRAEL [132 words]JACQUES HADIDAMar 27, 2013 17:27204748
Islamism could win [125 words]mythMar 20, 2013 09:34204527
Turkey's future is bright [118 words]Nazim CairoMar 16, 2013 18:48204395
Self-appraisal grows [63 words]BenMar 23, 2013 17:07204395
liar erdogan [27 words]erkanAug 9, 2014 05:05204395
The antichrist rises [4 words]Bongo watsonMar 15, 2013 16:50204371
to bongo watson [5 words]moMar 17, 2013 11:20204371
5Astounding failure of US Middle East policy [215 words]SoloviewMar 14, 2013 18:18204340
Who Knows [128 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
john w. mcginleyMar 14, 2013 17:04204332
1You asked about The Gatekeepers [322 words]Ron ThompsonMar 15, 2013 08:34204332
5Nothing but a Thug [49 words]Michael Hanni MorcosMar 14, 2013 14:57204325
4Erdo [25 words]Steven LMar 14, 2013 14:56204324
5Saving Turkey -- Saving Western Civilization? [560 words]GWKMar 14, 2013 13:47204322
It is Still Erdoğan's Turkey - For the Moment - The West Still Does Not Know Him [208 words]M. ToveyMar 14, 2013 19:27204322
2Erdogan is the biggest liar among the Turkish Prime Ministers [64 words]Quasi democracyMar 15, 2013 02:39204322
1Great Summary [19 words]Turkish secularMar 15, 2013 03:26204322
Irony of Restating the Obvious [115 words]M ToveySep 17, 2020 22:00204322
3An Implosion Down the Road? [197 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Ron ThompsonMar 14, 2013 12:33204319

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)