S2 E54. The 47-Minute Film of Hamas Atrocities on October 7

Within hours of the shock Hamas attack of October 7, video clips and news reports documenting the unspeakable savagery being committed went viral, globally. Equally shocking was that spontaneous street parties broke out all over Europe, the U.K., America, Canada and Australia. People were jubilant, celebrating the massacre even while it was ongoing. They called for the destruction of Israel. And, bizarrely, as they celebrated the carnage they also denied that Muslims would commit such barbaric crimes. But if they did, well, then it was legitimate resistance. Still in the fog and chaos of this massive terror attack, Israel found itself butting up against a wall of denial. Governments, NGOs like the United Nations, and civilians – saying that it never happened. This is where Mattan Harelfisch comes in. An Israeli man reeling in the immediate aftermath, Mattan could not believe that international media referred to crimes – that were documented by Hamas terrorists themselves – as things that “supposedly” occurred. Supposedly. The world was denying the horror. And so, Mattan spoke to IDF Chief Spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, and by mid-October the 47-minute film of the atrocities was produced and screened for 20 international journalists in Tel Aviv. This is part I of the fascinating back-story of how and why the 47-minute film was made; the objectives, the process, the ethics. Part II of this fascinating discussion will drop next week.

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