At The Green Line

Today’s news vividly shows us that we live in a time of occupation. The effects and actions of the occupiers and the reactions of the occupied are sometimes violent and incomprehensible to us. At the Green Line is a passionate and raw new documentary about the conscientious objectors and active Israeli soldiers struggling to personally reconcile their roles as occupiers of Palestinian territory.

Since January 2002, the “Courage to Refuse” movement has been growing steadily within the IDF (Israeli Defense Force), based on the conviction that “the commands issued to us in the Occupied Territories destroy all the values we were raised upon.” Today, the movement numbers over 600 high-ranking soldiers and officers.

Military service in Israel is mandatory, and this act of refusal may be considered treason by certain members of Israeli society who see no other alternative to protecting their families and their country.

The film profiles several "Courage to Refuse" ex-soldiers as well as IDF reservists, as they wrestle with the effectiveness and personal morality of their choices.

The viewer is taken to the front lines of the conflict: night patrols in the Gaza Strip, suicide bombings, targeted assassinations, checkpoints, the separation fence, and the fear and tension that permeates the daily lives of Israelis and Palestinians.

This film is an exploration of the large grey area in this seemingly black and white issue. It is a story of peoples’ attempts to break free from an endless cycle of violence and to reconcile individual conscience with responsibility and love for one’s country.

What are the costs of occupation... for both sides?