“Blood And Tears”
Gives New Insights Into MidEast Conflict
By Tim Bristow
On January 26, 2005 American
University played host to producer/director Isadore Romarin
as he aired his landmark film “Blood and Tears” to a crowded
auditorium at American University’s School of International
Service. Dean Louis Goodman of American University’s School
of International Service hosted the event and invited
two prominent speakers to a post-screening panel and discussion
- American University’s own Ibn Khaldun Chair, Dr. Akbar
Ahmed and Dr. Walter Reich, the Yitzhak Rabin Memorial
Professor of International Affairs, Ethics and Human Behavior,
and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at
The George Washington University to answer questions about
the situation in the Middle-East and the ramifications
of the ongoing peace process.
The film, shown to a packed hall, narrated the history
surrounding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict up to the
present day and gave a good sense of the complexities
of the issues involved. Through interviews with many leaders
from both sides including Palestinian negotiator Saeed
Erekat, the late Yassar Arafat, Israeli Knesset members
Vinyamin Netanyahu and Yossi Beilin and several Hamas
leaders, the film presented a very wide-ranging account
of the conflict but remained neutral throughout. The title
of the film, taken from Yitzhak Rabin’s remarks at Camp
David, is a most appropriate description of the intensity,
violence and hatred that have pervaded in the region for
far too long.
The hopes and fears of all sides to the conflict are well
documented by Mr. Rosmarin as his unfaltering lens casts
a dispassionate glance at the heartfelt pleas of a region
torn by the most divisive of human emotions. Rabin’s words
echo in the conscience and serve as a powerful reminder
that dialogue has never been more important nor more seriously
lacking in the search for a peaceful solution. The post-film
discussion was spirited and occasionally, highly charged,
focusing on the Peace Process and the ramifications of
the conflict both regionally and throughout the world.
Dr. Akbar Ahmed, focusing mainly on the religious aspects
of the conflict, spoke at length on the need for dialogue
between Muslims and Jews and described the conflict as
‘atavistic.’ He argued for the need to convert the present
paradigm “Blood and Tears” into a new paradigm based on
“compassion and wisdom.”
He went on to portray the relationship between Islam,
Judaism and Christianity as that of three sisters; they
may not always agree with each other but they still feel
a certain familial love for each other. In an analogy
drawn from the story of Abraham, the spiritual father
of all three religions, he narrated the story of Abraham’s
two sons Isaac and Ishmael, and the fact that the two
brothers were estranged throughout most of their lives.
This story has become an analogy of the Israeli/Palestinian
conflict for many people in which both brothers are symbolic
of both peoples and their estrangement has become the
reality of today. However, the real story is not being
told. In the Abrahamic tradition, the two brothers were
reconciled at the death of their father. The symbolism
is unmistakable, that the final chapter of this devastating
conflict will be one of peace and reconciliation.
Continuing on the theme of hope, Dr. Reich reiterated
Ahmed’s call for dialogue expressing his concern that
every person in every conflict must “see that there is
reason for sympathy for the other side.” Ahmed’s earnest
call for “a change of heart” in the film was echoed by
Reich who emphasized that such a change was both a statement
of faith and a statement of fear since it is harder to
accept hostile views than it is to rebuff them. Isadore
Rosmarin spoke about the making of the film and of the
problems that he encountered in its production. He said
that the film offered no explanations of the conflict
but instead presented a detailed chronology of events
that would allow viewers to form their own opinions as
to the solutions.
Among the distinguished guests in attendance were former
Congressman Walter Fountroy, civil rights activist and
former associate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Congressional
candidate Chuck Floyd and Reverend Michael Jenkins of
the Interreligious and International Federation for World
Peace. “Blood and Tears” is an exceptional addition to
the growing number of documentaries on this ill-fated
region but one that is noteworthy as a result of its producer’s
attempts to instill the heartbreak, sorrow but also the
hope that is the soul of these war-torn lands. The ensuing
discussion was typical of American University’s multi-cultural
campus with a highly international audience and numerous
scholars of distinction, a potent reflection of how great
minds working together can prove that tolerance and acceptance
are more prominent features of the human race than prejudice,
fanaticism and violence.
