Battle for the Holy Land
Jerusalem C4 Sat 19 May 7.05pm
Love Thy Neighbour C4 Mon 21 May 8pm
As the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War approaches, what prospects are there for peace, justice and coexistence in Israel and Palestine?
Introduction
Since 2002, the Israeli government has been building a massive barrier, over 430 miles long, with the aim of separating Israelis from Palestinians, Jews from Arabs. In Jerusalem it is a 30-foot concrete wall that cuts off the surrounding Palestinian villages from their city. In addition, the Occupied Palestinian Territory is crisscrossed with roadblocks which restrict the movement of Palestinians as they go to school, to work, to hospital, to places of worship or to visit friends and relatives.
The Israeli government says that the Wall is necessary to prevent Palestinian terrorist attacks. Palestinians believe that security is often used as a pretext to impose measures that humiliate them and undermine their daily existence. As well as overshadowing the lives of the people whose land has been chopped into smaller and smaller pieces, many see the Wall, the roadblocks and the continuing establishment of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land as overshadowing any prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
In Jerusalem, Lord Paddy Ashdown looks at the past, present and future of this ancient city which is sacred to three religions but has been the site of recurring conflict, turmoil and bloodshed. He believes that Jerusalem is not only at the heart of the conflict but is also central to any prospect of peace.
In Love Thy Neighbour Rod Liddle embarks on a journey to find out whether, after 40 years of illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel can still claim to be a liberal democracy.
