Documentary: The Occupation of the American Mind | Roger Waters

The Occupation of the American Mind is a 2016 documentary film by Loretta Alper and Jeremy Earp, and narrated by Roger Waters. According to Al Jazeera, the film seeks to show how information warfare waged by Israel and its supporters distorted the truth about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and won over the hearts and minds of Americans for the last 50 years. In other words, The Occupation of the American Mind seeks to explore the United States’ steadfast support for Israel in the face of the latter’s controversial actions.

The documentary film begins with clips of the Israeli invasion of Gaza in 2014, and using experts, half of them American Jews, claims to show how the Israeli government and pro-Israel lobby groups use their influence in the American media to shape the views of the American people on its control of the West Bank and Gaza. The Occupation of the American Mind sought to show how Israeli attacks on Palestinians provoked widespread protests around the world, while the United States remained steadfast in its support for Israel despite the crimes committed.

Source: https://www.occupationmovie.org

Some notes on the charge of anti-semitism
The Occupation of the American Mind examines the myriad tactics that government officials and public relations experts use to maintain support for Israeli government policies. One of these tactics is smearing people who criticize Israeli policies as either anti-Semites or “self-hating Jews.” As the film points out, the charge of anti-Semitism has had a chilling effect on public discourse about Israel in the U.S., creating a climate of fear and intimidation that’s made it difficult for people to have rational discussions and debates about Israeli policy and Palestinian human rights. Here are some suggestions for how to handle this tactic if it’s used against you for screening the film.

League of Nations Mandate for Palestine (1922)

Summary of this document for someone new to this topic:

What is the Mandate for Palestine?
After World War I, the Ottoman26 Ottoman Empire, which controlled Palestine, was defeated. The League of Nations (an early version of the United Nations) decided that Britain would temporarily manage Palestine. The Mandate is like a rulebook that spells out what Britain’s job was in governing the area.

Key Points of the Document in Simple Terms:

1. Britain’s Role: The League of Nations gave Britain the responsibility to run Palestine and help set up a “national home for the Jewish people” there. This idea came from the Balfour Declaration (1917), which said Britain supported a homeland for Jews in Palestine.
2. Protecting Everyone’s Rights: The Mandate says Britain should help Jews build their national home while also making sure the rights of non-Jewish people (like Arab communities) in Palestine are protected, including their civil and religious rights.
3. Immigration and Land: Britain was supposed to support Jewish immigration to Palestine and help Jews settle land there. This was to help create the Jewish national home while trying not to harm the existing communities.
4. Administration: Britain had to set up a government system in Palestine, report to the League of Nations, and work toward eventually letting Palestine govern itself (though no clear timeline was given).
5. Holy Places: The Mandate ensured that religious sites in Palestine (important to Jews, Muslims, and Christians) would be protected, and people could freely access them.
6. Transjordan Note: The document includes a note that some rules (like those about Jewish settlement) didn’t apply to the area east of the Jordan River, called Transjordan (now Jordan), which Britain was also managing separately.

Why It Matters:
The Mandate was a big deal because it officially backed the idea of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, which led to more Jewish immigration and settlement. This caused tensions with the Arab population, who were the majority in Palestine at the time, setting the stage for future conflicts. It’s a key moment in the history of the modern state of Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In Short:
The Mandate was Britain’s job description for running Palestine, with a focus on supporting a Jewish homeland while trying to respect the local Arab population. It’s a short but important document that shaped the region’s future.

League of Nations Mandate For Palestine 1922

The Balfour Declaration

Foreign Office
November 2nd, 1917

Dear Lord Rothschild,

I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet: “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.”

I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.

Yours sincerely,
Arthur James Balfour

Lord Lionel Walter Rothschild’s Reply (2nd Baron Rothschild)

British Zionist, Lord Walter Rothschild, James de Rothschild, The Balfour Declaration & the Man-made State of Israel.
Some Historical Context

THE FORGOTTEN TRUTH ABOUT THE BALFOUR DECLARATION

For 100 years the British statement, which inaugurated Zionism’s legitimation in the eyes of the world, has been seen as the isolated act of a single nation. The truth is much different.
June 5, 2017 | Martin Kramer | Appearing in the “Advancing Jewish Thought” Mosaic Magazine.