"While the show doesn't go out of its way to be political, it remains heavily so because life under a foreign military occupation is inherently and unavoidably political. Whereas political news reports highlight egregious cases of Palestinians being
thrown out of their homes in illegally-occupied East Jerusalem for Israeli settlers take over, this show
explores the less conspicuous but more sustained and widespread pressures of economic strangulation on Palestinian shopkeepers in the old city. And whereas human rights reports cover the
massive infrastructural devastation of Gaza in the aftermath of Israel's assault over a year ago in statistical terms, this show brings that reality home by giving viewers a chance to
meet the families that live without electricity or access to clean water.
From the terror of a 4:00am raid on a family's home to arrest a 10 year old boy, to the joy of kids who are taken to an amusement park beyond their financial means, to the horror of a family that discovers beating marks on the body of their son whom Israeli authorities alleged had committed suicide in prison (and the bravery of the women exploring and documenting these stories), the series takes you on an emotional journey which authentically delivers the reality of Palestinian life.
Of course, one can certainly learn all the cold facts about the occupation by reading books and human rights reports, watching documentaries, or listening to lectures. But, like Anna Baltzer's moving and notable book
Witness in Palestine, what this series offers is a better grasp on what it really feels like to live everyday under the occupation."
Political Scientist, Human Rights Activist
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