The Weaponized Camera in the Middle East: Videography, Aesthetics, and Politics in Israel and Palestine

285 Pages·2021·40.531 MB·English

by  Liat Berdugo

THE WEAPONIZED CAMERA IN THE MIDDLE EAST
ii
THE WEAPONIZED CAMERA IN THE

MIDDLE EAST
Videography, Aesthetics, and Politics in Israel
and Palestine
Liat Berdugo
I.B. TAURIS
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
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BLOOMSBURY, I.B. TAURIS and the I.B. Tauris logo are trademarks of
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
First published in Great Britain 2021
Copyright © Liat Berdugo, 2021
Liat Berdugo has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988,
to be identified as Author of this work.
For legal purposes the Acknowledgments on p. xiii constitute an extension
of this copyright page.
Cover design: Toby Way
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ISBN: HB: 978-1-8386-0271-0
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To all those looking at the frames of images.
vi
CONTENTS
List of Figures viii
List of Plates xi
Acknowledgments xiii
INTRODUCTION 1
Chapter 1
CAMERA AS REVELATORY TOOL OF EXPOSURE 23
Chapter 2
CAMERA AS SHAME-PRODUCER 49
Chapter 3
CAMERA AS MIRROR 71
Chapter 4
CAMERA AS SHIELD 91
Chapter 5
CAMERA AS EVIDENCE 115
Chapter 6
CAMERA AS WEAPON 143
CLOSING WORDS 175
Notes 181
References 221
Index 247
FIGURES
0.1 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Abd al-Karim J’abri,
Hebron, August 17, 2007. © B’Tselem. 2
0.2 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Abd al-Karim J’abri,
Hebron, August 17, 2007. © B’Tselem. 3
0.3 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Abd al-Karim J’abri,
Hebron, August 17, 2007. © B’Tselem. 4
0.4 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Abd al-Karim J’abri,
Hebron, August 17, 2007. © B’Tselem. 4
0.5 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by ‘Imad Abu
Shamsiyeh, Hebron, April 19, 2014. © B’Tselem. 5
0.6 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Nasser Nawaj’ah,
South Hebron Hills, May 1, 2008. © B’Tselem. 9
0.7 B’Tselem cameras ready for distribution, 2014. © B’Tselem. 10
0.8 Film still from Divine Intervention (2002), Dir. Elia Suleiman. 15
1.1 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by Ahmed Ziyadah,
Madama (Nablus region), February 10, 2017. © B’Tselem. 24
1.2 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by Ahmed Ziyadah,
Madama (Nablus region), February 10, 2017. © B’Tselem. 24
1.3 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by Ayat al-Ja’bri,
Hebron, August 9, 2017. © B’Tselem. 34
1.4 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by Ayat al-Ja’bri,
Hebron, August 9, 2017. © B’Tselem. 34
1.5 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by Ayat al-Ja’bri,
Hebron, August 9, 2017. © B’Tselem. 35
1.6 Video still from anonymous testimony, Breaking the Silence, May
6, 2015. 38
1.7 Film still from Z32 (2008), Dir. Avi Mograbi. 39
1.8 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Bilal a-Tamimi,
a-Nabi Saleh, February 18, 2014. © B’Tselem. 41
1.9 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Fayzeh Abu
Shamsiyeh, Hebron, March 10, 2015. © B’Tselem. 41
2.1 Tweet from Allan Sørensen, July 9, 2014. 50
2.2 T-shirts supporting Elor Azaria, Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images,
Ramla, August 9, 2017. 55
2.3 Tweet from Channel 13 News, March 12, 2017. 56
2.4 Jewish settler dressed as Elor Azaria, Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty
Images, Hebron, March 12, 2017. 57
Figures ix
2.5 Video still from Elor Azaria’s return to Hebron, Tzipi Shlisel/TPS,
Hebron, July 3, 2018. 57
2.6 Facebook post from Eden Abergil, 2010. 62
2.7 Video still from testimony of Dotan Greenvald, Breaking the
Silence, April 10, 2011. 66
2.8 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Iyad Hadad, Beitillu
(Ramallah region), October 7, 2012. © B’Tselem. 69
3.1 Israel-Gaza fence, photographed by Oren Ziv/Activestills, Nahal
Oz (East of Gaza City), April 6, 2018. 74
3.2 Protest against the separation wall, photographed by Yotam
Ronen/Activestills, Bil’in, September 23, 2005. 76
3.3 Protest against house evictions, photographed by Oren Ziv/
Activestills, Sheikh Jarrah (East Jerusalem), January 1, 2010. 77
3.4 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Fayzeh Abu
Shamsiyeh, Hebron, March 10, 2015. © B’Tselem. 79
3.5 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Fayzeh Abu
Shamsiyeh, Hebron, March 10, 2015. © B’Tselem. 79
3.6 Arkadi Zaides performing Archive (2014), photographed by
Christophe Raynaud de Lage. 82
3.7 Arkadi Zaides performing Archive (2014), photographed by
Christophe Raynaud de Lage. 82
3.8 Film still from Mirror Image (2014), Dir. Danielle Schwartz. 85
3.9 Film still from Mirror Image (2014), Dir. Danielle Schwartz. 85
3.10 Videotapes in storage at the B’Tselem headquarters, photographed
by Liat Berdugo, Jerusalem, June 10, 2015. 88
4.1 Atta Najar, Salam Najar and Mi’ad Najar at a B’Tselem video
training seminar, Burin (Nablus region), March 2014. © B’Tselem. 94
4.2 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by Rajaa Abu
‘Eishah, Hebron, January 16, 2007. © B’Tselem. 97
4.3 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by Mai Da’na,
Hebron, August 24, 2017. © B’Tselem. 99
4.4 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by B’Tselem staff,
Hebron, March 6, 2013. © B’Tselem. 100
4.5 Video still from B’Tselem archives, filmed by Suzan Zraqo,
Hebron, June 2, 2018. © B’Tselem. 102
4.6 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by the Jundiyeh
family, a-Tuba (South Hebron Hills region), August 11, 2007. ©
B’Tselem. 106
4.7 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by Muna Nawaj’ah,
Suseya (South Hebron Hills region), June 8, 2008. © B’Tselem. 106
4.8 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by Issa Amro,
Hebron, January 19, 2008. © B’Tselem. 108
4.9 Video still from B’Tselem on YouTube, filmed by a Ta’ayush
Activist, near Mitzpe Yair (South Hebron Hills region), May 21,
2012. © B’Tselem. 110