This past Tuesday, Israeli courts absolved the state of responsibility for the death of Rachel Corrie, an American peace activist who was killed during the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza. Tempers have flared around the case, alternately framing Rachel Corrie as either a victim of circumstance or a political casualty.
In 2008, filmmaker Simone Bitton produced documentary about the incident. To call it controversial would be an understatement: its screening at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival caused boycotts and the resignation of the festival’s president. The reaction to the film revealed the difficulty of critiquing actions by Israel amid accusations of anti-Semitism.
We don’t want to come down one way or another about the documentary, but given its significance, it is part of our collection. Rachel is available to watch in Media Services (DVD 9237).