Produced by legendary Hollywood maverick (and MGM Vice President) Isadore “Dore” Schary, and directed by Jeb Schary, “Israel: The Right to Be” (c. late 1970s) is a pro-Israel, Zionist documentary. It is narrated by Norman Rose, Marian Seldes, and Joseph Weisman. The film discusses the complex history of the modern nation of Israel which, at the time the film was released, had just survived the Yom Kippur War.
Map of Arab League states (0:10). Negev Desert (0:26). Diverse landscape: sea coast, mountains, Galilee, Dead Sea, Jordan River (1:16). Ethnic diversity: Druze people, Muslims, Christians (2:57). Young people in 70s fashion city streets (3:04). The Knesset (3:20). Dome of the Rock/ Haram al-Sharif (3:31). Old Testament Hebrew Bible (4:02). Balfour Declaration (4:11). 29 November 1947 UN General Assembly voting on the Partition Plan (4:22). End of British Mandate for Palestine, departure of British Army, Union Jack lowered (4:34). Israel’s flag hoisted at UN 1949, scenes of celebration across Israel (4:55). History of Israel from biblical days to 1947, Abba Eban quote, mosaics and paintings from each historic period and empire from Babylonians, Romans, Byzantines, Arab Caliphates, Crusades, to Ottomans (5:22). Black-and-white archival images Jewish settlements in Palestine dating to late 1860s: agricultural workers, riding on camels through desert landscape, Mark Twain visit, quote from account of Palestine Royal Commission (7:40). Image T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) 1919 (8:43). Faisal–Weizmann Agreement (9:07). Scenes of Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, high priests walk Via Dolorosa, Muslim, Christian, Jewish quarters of Old City (9:53). 1929 Hebron Massacre (11:47). Nazism and WWII: Ottoman fascist soldiers, recruitment of Jewish Brigade, Hitler sits with Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini in Germany (12:06). Events leading up to Arab-Israeli War 1948: violence, destroyed buildings, portrait of Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Hadassah medical convoy massacre, Ben-Gurion announces Israel’s independence from Tel Aviv Museum (12:48). Arab-Israeli War 1948: troops from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia mobilizing and arming, battle scenes use of heavy artillery and tanks, MG 34 machine guns, Egypt annexes Gaza, Jordan annexes West Bank, Jerusalem (15:24). Border Wars and Suez Crisis 1956: Israeli forces capture Sinai Peninsula (17:24). United Nations emergency forces arrive in Sinai. Palestinian women in embroidered thobe carry baskets on their heads (18:28). The Six-Day War 1967: Gamal Abdel Nasser proclaims destruction to Israel, celebrations across Cairo, Israel takes ahold of Gaza, Sinai, Golan Heights, Jerusalem (19:14). Jews praying at Western Wall (21:46). Aerial view Golan Heights, close-up exterior details Dome of the Rock (22:02). Yom Kippur War 1973: air raid sirens, battles on land, sea, in air, Agreement on Disengagement 1974 between Israel and Egypt (22:42). P.O.W.s return to Israel, injured soldiers in hospital, Israelis in mourning at cemetery (25:00). The Palestine Question: Yasser Arafat speech to UN General Assembly 1974, mourners at funerals following PLO attacks – Munich massacre, Kiryat Shmona massacre, 1974 Beit She’an attack, Ma’alot massacre, Lod Airport massacre, Yitzhak Rabin speaks to press (26:00). Rafah Refugee Camp, Gaza (28:51). Life in Jordanian-governed West Bank (30:15). Industrialization across Israel – canning of fruit, making/ packaging medicine, ammunition factories, textile factories, new construction sites (31:57). Daily life in peace time across Yaffa / Tel Aviv (33:57). Resorts and vacation destinations: Tel Aviv, Dead Sea, Eilat, Tiberius, Haifa, Akka (34:27). John F. Kennedy Memorial, Truman Library (35:16). Chaim Weizmann grave, Ben-Gurion grave, Hannah Szenes grave Har Herzl, National Military Cemetery, memorial Theodor Herzl (35:39). Shrine of the Book Complex, Dead Sea Scrolls (37:09). Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center (37:27). Young American students on trip to Warsaw Ghetto Museum (38:15). Life in Israel: expansion of contemporary culture – modern and religious art, theaters, Roman Theatre at BeIt She’an National Park (40:41). Universities, daily life in cities, kibbutzim, comments on necessity of Israel’s existence (41:50). Closing, summative words, aerial view Masada, closing credits (48:44).
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
