AMERICAN
JEWS Call for Palestinian Statehood long ago in when it
was very difficult but still possible
- 1992 (28 minutes)
Produced
by Mark Bruzonsky
WE DARE TO SPEAK
AMERICAN
JEWS Speak Up Loudly Against Israeli Policies Calling for
Suspension of U.S. aid to Israel and a real Palestinian State (One
Hour - 1993) (There
is a 60-second delay before it starts. The running time is 58
minutes)
Produced by Mark Bruzonsky
TALKING TO
THE ENEMY (There
is a 45-second delay before it starts. The running time is 54
minutes)
Commissioned by
Channel 4 in the UK and
also shown on PBS in the US this is one of
the moving documentaries ever made about the human realities on
both sides of the Israeli - Palestinian divide. It began
when Mark Bruzonsky introduced Muna Hamzeh to Chaim Shur in Washington
in 1986.Muna
had never before been willing to meet an Israeli. When Chaim
found out Muna's background he revealed that he has grown up in Haifa watching the famous mayor of 33
years, Hassan Shukri, walk to work
on the street still named for him to this day. Shukri was Muna's
great grandfather. A vigorous exchange of letters followed,
between Muna in Washington and Chaim in Tel Aviv. The letters
were then published in the Israeli magazine New Outlook. At this same
time Channel 4 had selected an accomplished film-maker, Mira
Hammermesh, given her a major grant of a quarter million pounds, and
unleashed her to produce a film about the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
Mira, a child Holocaust survivor with close Israeli connections, was in
Tel Aviv where she heard the story and read
the letter exchange; she quickly flew to meet Muna in
Washington. Before it was over the help of many people was needed
to overcome all the problems and tensions, including Ezer Weizmann,
soon to be the President of Israel, and Phil Klutznick, the former
President of both B'nai B'rith International and the World Jewish
Congress.
This documentary showed
during prime-time evening hours on both Channel
4 (UK) and PBS (US) in 1988 and 1989.
Inspired by real
life story of Muna Hamzeh and Mark Bruzonsky, Produced by Mira
Hammermesh
