With Israel receiving three billion dollars in aid annually from the United States of America, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an issue that is relevant to life in the U.S. However, to many it is no more than a distant battle fought in a land few will ever see. The documentary film Death in Gaza attempts to humanize the conflict through the everyday lives and voices of young children living in the war-stricken area. While the documentary is relatively one-sided, showing only the Palestinian viewpoint, it does serve the purpose of shedding light and interest on an issue that is unimaginable to those not living in the region, yet is fought and survived by people no different than ourselves. The documentary begins by showing the …show more content…

However, when asked about the Israelis, she immediately displays hostility and revulsion, calling them “sons of dogs”. The mentality these Palestinian children have is so mystifying and peculiar, yet familiar at the same time. It is unimaginable to most to think of children so young having such anger towards a group of people, yet the mindset is similar to issues facing our own society, such as racism and prejudice. It can be partially attributed to the teachings of their parents and the generations before them, but is justified to these children every time they see a friend lose a life, an Israeli tank shoot them with bullets in return for their stones, or when a bulldozer continues to push them further away from home. A large theme throughout the documentary is whether or not this generation will choose to make peace or continue making war, and it serves the purpose of engaging the viewer in the debate of whether the desire for peace and inherent friendliness of these children will ever overcome the rooted hatred and thirst for violence. While the documentary does an excellent job of showing the Palestinian viewpoint, it does not even touch on that of the Israelis. Though the narrator attributes this one-sided argument to the death of the director, it still does not accurately show the entire scope of a two-sided battle. Had Death in Gaza shown the Israeli vantage point, be it through the eyes of children or the soldiers manning the tanks