Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
INDEPENDENCE Ltd.
Shalom! I'm here to tell you about a small country in the Middle East celebrating its 62 birthday .
Correct, Israel!
So.. What actually happened to us in these 62 years?
We founded a country that's what happened! There was a declaration in the UN, on the 29 of November.
Ben Gurion: We hereby declare the..!
We declared – and we had a country!
Those around us weren't so happy. We were attacked from all directions -
Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq! A Mega-War with a retro look.
After two years of fighting we showed them who is the boss, and continued on!
Well, of course, we had to get rid of some of the local Arabs.
But we were here first. It's says so in the bible.
In the 50's we had a lot of work to do. Between one Aliya and another,
economic depression and austerity period, The espionage fiasco in Egypt and first Sinai war,
we also had to drain swamps, build roads, construct the Negev water tunnel and even..
a nuclear reactor.., with help from the French.
The sixties started on a high note, when we imported Eichman from Argentina.
We put him on trial. Then we took him to beach..
In 67 we pre-empted our enemies and struck first. A perfect operation, no fuckups!
In six days we took over Sinai, the Golan heights, the West Bank - A whole lot of real-estate!
Including Gaza. Why Gaza?
Maybe because it's beach-front property.
Later was the Attrition War, and the black panthers. A rather unsuccessful Olympics, and a problematic war.
And in Yom Kipur?!
In 76 we paid a visit to the duty-free in Entebe. Rabin got screwed over a few dollars in a foreign account.
Peres lost for the first time, and Begin became prime minister.
He exchanged the Lira for the Shekel, and exchanged Sinai for Peace with Egypt. Good deal, no?
No???
In 81 we bombed the Iraqi atomic reactor.
Then we went into Lebanon.
And Sharon went in a bit more.
And more. Up to Beirut, why not??
Why not? 1200 soldiers dead, a disgraceful slaughter, 18 years in a security zone.. and a great film by Ari Folman.
Where were we? The 80's. Inflation rising, government rotation.. Ah, and how can we forget - the first Intifada.
Nothing like the first time.
In 91 we survived The Gulf War. And we also survived Shamir's tenure. Barely.
Rabin gave us peace with Jordan, and gave us Oslo, and there was a feeling of an opening horizon.
At least for some of us.
Until some Yigal guy appeared from nowhere and "fired" him.
And Peres loses again and we get Bibi - "They will give, we'll give - they won't give.."
He didn't give.
And the helicopter crash disaster, and the navy seals tradegy, and Barak who decided to get out of Lebanon and went to Camp David…
…and came back with no end to the conflict but with his *** in his hand.
And Sharon went to Al-Akza, and another Intifada. And a big suicide bomb in 'Park Hotel' Netanya…
..and 'DEFENSE FALL' and 'SEPERATION WALL' , and more elections, and Sharon again, and a Gaza withdrawal plan, and a lot of 'orange' noise!
And after all this, Sharon wanted to move forward (Kadima), but bad medicine stopped him on his tracks.
He is still alive, by the way... sort of.
And that's how Olmert got to be prime minister, and they kidnapped our Gilad, Eldad and Udi.
We got our *** kicked in the Second Lebanon War, but that's OK- We are made of 'PURE LEAD'.
Today, Bibi and Sara are running our lives, with a 32 ministers goverment,
that provokes the Americans, and humiliates ambassadors. Lieberman is the foreign secretary..
..and Yishai the home secratery. Are we having some fun or what?
This whole thing doesn't look good. And I'm not talking about Nuclear Iran or a *** president.
I'm talking about us. About the situation, the corruption, the occupation ,the orthodox domination ...Should I continue?
Although we have come this far, and it wasn't an easy ride, there is an ominous feeling today - The end is near.
Jerusalem was not brought down by its enemies, it collapsed from within.
And let's face it, here we are, doing it again.
Do we buy a one way ticket? or it is not too late? LEHAIM! And a Happy Independence Day.
Hosted by Ido Barkan
Written & Directed by Daniel Kutz
Cinematography by Rami Katzav
Sound Recordng by Sharon Friedman
Filmed in the Holy Land, April 2010