The Green Line, a 355-km long demarcation that separates Israel from the West Bank, has been an unresolved dispute since the start of the Israeli state. A ceasefire line drawn in 1949 with a green pencil on a staff map, it stands as the basis of all peace plans for the last three decades and is intended to become the border of a potential Palestinian state.
However, since winning the Six-Day War in 1967, the Israelis have done everything in their power to undermine and ignore its existence. They have chosen to build dozens upon dozens of settlements east of this sensitive line in Occupied Palestinian territories, some even within East Jerusalem – an area which was once fully under Palestinian control before 1967 and now finds itself bitterly contested between Israelis and Palestinians living within its confines.
Aside from being disputed politically, The Green Line also finds itself literally broken down by military checkpoints scattered across it. Tens of thousands of Palestinians must pass through these daily just to make their way into Israel for work – another sign that this “line” is nowhere near as defined as it should be. From Jenin to Jerusalem, ARTE’s documentary follows this course of ruptures and transformations that span over half a century and demonstrate how Israelis and Palestinians still struggle to share the same piece of land today.
For those looking for insight into this intricate issue or who wish to learn more about its evolution over time, ARTE’s documentary offers an informative guide that highlights both historical facts as well as current realities concerning The Green Line. It tackles a subject often left untouched or misunderstood by many but provides viewers with enough detail to help paint a clearer picture on why such conflicts exist between two peoples so close yet seemingly so far away from each other.
