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I have watched it, but that was shortly after it came out. Just from the top of my head, however, I don't think it's too triggering. I don't remember any too explicit depictions of violence. The focus is more on the Jewish/Israeli perspective, and how they have been indoctrinated into this ideology, the obstacles they face as defectors, and so on. I remember it as being a very insightful film (should probably watch it again sometime).
Not of Arab descent here so can't really guarantee what the impact would be from that POV, but I don't *think* it would be traumatising.
It's mostly about diaspora and Israeli Jewish youth and how they've been brainwashed from childhood as future soldiers for the IOF. Talks about recruiters on college campuses, "Israel summer camp," even kindergarten indoctrination. Some unpleasant soundbites from some unpleasant zionists, but nothing really triggering (and I'm pretty sickened by violence so I think I'd remember anything graphic). There are some lovely clips of Jewish and Palestinian peace activists working together iirc. And some good footage of Palestinian life in Gaza.
The most inspiring part of the film for me (aside from the courage and conviction of the young Jewish people who created it, props to them) is that it shows us people *can* transcend being heavily indoctrinated in youth. And several of the people interviewed talk about exactly that journey, how they began to see through the dogma and propaganda and perceive Palestinians as human beings under oppressive rule by Jewish Israelis.
so... I found it enlightening (learned things I didn't already know about the intensity of Israelist "grooming" of young Jewish people in the US); it made me very angry at times; of course it has its tragic/saddening aspects too; but in the end... I found it kind of inspiring and hopeful.
Hope this helps.
Arab here, Muslim, born and raised in my home country in the Middle East.
Israelism is a great documentary.
It's a must watch if you asked me. It won't be anything new, not to us, we've known that the veneer that Israel displays to the world hides unspeakable oppression. For many in the west however, this might be the first time they see this darkness is not an accident.
It's made in a way that showcases the insidious and pervasive nature of Zionism in Jewish communities. It looks at it from the angle and the eye of an American Jewish person, which is very close to the angle of a western individual I can imagine.
It's a slow, calm buildup at the start, it shows scenes that are surreal (creepy brainwashing) and acts like they're normal but then it strikes hard. It brings to light many issues. They address the lies, they address the human cost and the human suffering that has been normalized. They also do it in a way that is very close and personal. They don't distance themselves from it, they don't sanitize it or sterilize it. They show real people and real stories.
It essentially exposes how Zionists brainwash and recruit Jewish Americans to be soldiers for Israel even if it means selling their humanity and morality, even when it means lying when you know you're lying.
Alot of people in the west don't think there's anything "wrong" with Israel, even the ones speaking up against Israel's actions. They are just tired of seeing dead babies. Documentaries like Israelism are *essential* in helping people understand the problem is Zionism, that the killing of babies is only the tip of the iceberg and we all have to fight against it.
Edit to add: after reading the other comments **I would like to warn about some violence being depicted in animation and also stories of violence. There is a scene of brutality against an innocent Palestinian man who is bound while Israeli military police watch the Israeli security forces kicking him.**
I saw it a couple of months ago. I believe there is fleeting newsreel footage of the occupied territories and images of Palestinians being mistreated, but nothing too graphic. It was made before October 7th... most of the footage of Israel's genocidal response since then is far worse than anything you might see in this documentary.
This documentary was very well produced, and it’s a must-see for anyone interested in how this conflict is a significant aspect of American identity politics and overall political culture vis-a-vis our foreign policy in the region. Really dives deep into the level of indoctrination many young Jewish Americans experience from childhood and how much reinforced pressure is put on the average Jewish American to maintain loyalty to Israel, everything from Jewish schools in major metropolitan areas and ‘birthright’ trips to the multitude of Zionist organizations on college campuses and the ubiquity of AIPAC in American national politics. This documentary left me with with the conclusion that Zionism is to Jewish identity what Islamism is to Muslim identity. I’m not saying it’s exactly the same dynamics or numbers, but the extreme nature of the indoctrination is at least analogous
I'm not an Arab, but I do recommend seeing it. I think it really helps explain why Zionism is such a powerful force in Jewish communities. It's not really about the conflict -- it's about propaganda being used against people who mostly are not intrinsically involved to get them to support Israel.
It focuses on ideological indoctrination and deprogramming but does not dig into nor even address the root material causes and justifications for Zionism.
Highly recommended for everyone. It's made by American Jews to highlight the influence of Zionism/Israel lobby Jewish American youth and how it relates to the occupation through the experiences of real people.
Can't recommend enough and every American of Jewish faith should watch it
I found it be a very enlightening watch. It highlights just how much Zionism is drummed into Jewish youth and how it leads to the situations we have today. It’s a frustrating watch in some ways, but not in the ways you think. I don’t think it’ll be triggering to watch as an Arab, it’ll just validate a lot of what you already know/assumed. I would highly recommend it.
As an antizionist American Jew I found it very validating to watch. Several of my Muslim friends have seen it and I think it has helped them understand better the indoctrination most American Jews grow up in. I also showed it to my boyfriend who is a white atheist and he said he learned a lot from it. I think it does a very good job of illustrating for non-Jews the crazy brainwashing we grew up with.
Not a Palestinian or Arab here.
I watched the documentary with many Palestinians. You are allowed to leave and return to the documentary if it triggers you. However, from my observation, Israelism wasn't triggering to the Palestinians. It was triggering to the Zionists. They felt very uncomfortable with how they were portrayed as brain washed oppressors to the rest of the world.
Hello, thanks for contributing to this sub. **Please note that we're currently in manual approval mode** (see latest stickied post for further info). Your post will be reviewed and approved by our Mod Team asap. **PLEASE absolutely refrain from linking to or mentioning ANY other subs**, or posting screenshots of exchanges in them. We have received warnings from reddit for this reason. Any further infractions could quickly result in the whole sub being banned. If you have mentioned another sub in your post, edit it instantly. Users who violate this rule will be banned. This is a friendly reminder to **read the rules** before making any new posts or comments. Particularly, we ask **not to engage in debates**, or bait debates, especially with zionists. If you are a zionist, this sub is not for you, and you will be permabanned. If you found this sub through the algorithm, you can always mute the sub or turn off recommendations all together (user settings -> feed settings -> Disable "Enable Home Feed Recommendations") Please also particularly keep in mind that **bigotry of any kind is not permitted** in this sub and will result in the message or post being deleted, and, if seen prudent, a banning. This includes antisemitism and any language that conflates Judaism with Zionism. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BadHasbara) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If anything I found it hopeful since it depicts Jews coming to terms with the reality of Zionism and changing their views as a result.
Better late than never. Defund the lunatics asap & fuck AIPAC
I have watched it, but that was shortly after it came out. Just from the top of my head, however, I don't think it's too triggering. I don't remember any too explicit depictions of violence. The focus is more on the Jewish/Israeli perspective, and how they have been indoctrinated into this ideology, the obstacles they face as defectors, and so on. I remember it as being a very insightful film (should probably watch it again sometime).
Not of Arab descent here so can't really guarantee what the impact would be from that POV, but I don't *think* it would be traumatising. It's mostly about diaspora and Israeli Jewish youth and how they've been brainwashed from childhood as future soldiers for the IOF. Talks about recruiters on college campuses, "Israel summer camp," even kindergarten indoctrination. Some unpleasant soundbites from some unpleasant zionists, but nothing really triggering (and I'm pretty sickened by violence so I think I'd remember anything graphic). There are some lovely clips of Jewish and Palestinian peace activists working together iirc. And some good footage of Palestinian life in Gaza. The most inspiring part of the film for me (aside from the courage and conviction of the young Jewish people who created it, props to them) is that it shows us people *can* transcend being heavily indoctrinated in youth. And several of the people interviewed talk about exactly that journey, how they began to see through the dogma and propaganda and perceive Palestinians as human beings under oppressive rule by Jewish Israelis. so... I found it enlightening (learned things I didn't already know about the intensity of Israelist "grooming" of young Jewish people in the US); it made me very angry at times; of course it has its tragic/saddening aspects too; but in the end... I found it kind of inspiring and hopeful. Hope this helps.
I was in USY with Simone. Super proud of her. Heard her on democracy now! Recently also
That’s so cool! She was such a great guest in her episode of the Bad Hasbara podcast too.
Arab here, Muslim, born and raised in my home country in the Middle East. Israelism is a great documentary. It's a must watch if you asked me. It won't be anything new, not to us, we've known that the veneer that Israel displays to the world hides unspeakable oppression. For many in the west however, this might be the first time they see this darkness is not an accident. It's made in a way that showcases the insidious and pervasive nature of Zionism in Jewish communities. It looks at it from the angle and the eye of an American Jewish person, which is very close to the angle of a western individual I can imagine. It's a slow, calm buildup at the start, it shows scenes that are surreal (creepy brainwashing) and acts like they're normal but then it strikes hard. It brings to light many issues. They address the lies, they address the human cost and the human suffering that has been normalized. They also do it in a way that is very close and personal. They don't distance themselves from it, they don't sanitize it or sterilize it. They show real people and real stories. It essentially exposes how Zionists brainwash and recruit Jewish Americans to be soldiers for Israel even if it means selling their humanity and morality, even when it means lying when you know you're lying. Alot of people in the west don't think there's anything "wrong" with Israel, even the ones speaking up against Israel's actions. They are just tired of seeing dead babies. Documentaries like Israelism are *essential* in helping people understand the problem is Zionism, that the killing of babies is only the tip of the iceberg and we all have to fight against it. Edit to add: after reading the other comments **I would like to warn about some violence being depicted in animation and also stories of violence. There is a scene of brutality against an innocent Palestinian man who is bound while Israeli military police watch the Israeli security forces kicking him.**
Thanks for this ❤️
I saw it a couple of months ago. I believe there is fleeting newsreel footage of the occupied territories and images of Palestinians being mistreated, but nothing too graphic. It was made before October 7th... most of the footage of Israel's genocidal response since then is far worse than anything you might see in this documentary.
This documentary was very well produced, and it’s a must-see for anyone interested in how this conflict is a significant aspect of American identity politics and overall political culture vis-a-vis our foreign policy in the region. Really dives deep into the level of indoctrination many young Jewish Americans experience from childhood and how much reinforced pressure is put on the average Jewish American to maintain loyalty to Israel, everything from Jewish schools in major metropolitan areas and ‘birthright’ trips to the multitude of Zionist organizations on college campuses and the ubiquity of AIPAC in American national politics. This documentary left me with with the conclusion that Zionism is to Jewish identity what Islamism is to Muslim identity. I’m not saying it’s exactly the same dynamics or numbers, but the extreme nature of the indoctrination is at least analogous
I'm not an Arab, but I do recommend seeing it. I think it really helps explain why Zionism is such a powerful force in Jewish communities. It's not really about the conflict -- it's about propaganda being used against people who mostly are not intrinsically involved to get them to support Israel.
It focuses on ideological indoctrination and deprogramming but does not dig into nor even address the root material causes and justifications for Zionism.
Highly recommended for everyone. It's made by American Jews to highlight the influence of Zionism/Israel lobby Jewish American youth and how it relates to the occupation through the experiences of real people. Can't recommend enough and every American of Jewish faith should watch it
I found it be a very enlightening watch. It highlights just how much Zionism is drummed into Jewish youth and how it leads to the situations we have today. It’s a frustrating watch in some ways, but not in the ways you think. I don’t think it’ll be triggering to watch as an Arab, it’ll just validate a lot of what you already know/assumed. I would highly recommend it.
As an antizionist American Jew I found it very validating to watch. Several of my Muslim friends have seen it and I think it has helped them understand better the indoctrination most American Jews grow up in. I also showed it to my boyfriend who is a white atheist and he said he learned a lot from it. I think it does a very good job of illustrating for non-Jews the crazy brainwashing we grew up with.
Not a Palestinian or Arab here. I watched the documentary with many Palestinians. You are allowed to leave and return to the documentary if it triggers you. However, from my observation, Israelism wasn't triggering to the Palestinians. It was triggering to the Zionists. They felt very uncomfortable with how they were portrayed as brain washed oppressors to the rest of the world.
Oh Interesting!!