WHAT IF? EHUD BARAK ON WAR AND PEACE – A Review by John Strange
I love learning about famous people in history. When a documentary film comes along about one of the seminal politicians of the last 50 years, with the person in question telling us his thoughts and memories of his life, I have to see it.
Ehud Barak was born on the Mishmar HaSharon kibbutz in Palestine in 1942. He grew up to be a general and later Prime Minister of Israel. His story hits all of the major points in Israel’s short but turbulent history. His views of these times were very interesting.
Then comes the part of the film I most wanted to watch and learn from, the Camp David 2000 Summit with PLO leader Yasser Arafat, moderated by President Bill Clinton.
I loved Barak’s description of Camp David:
What’s Camp David Like? It’s such a mythical place. It looks like the crown jewel of the American prison system.
There are guard towers and high fences with alarm systems. But for a “prison,” it’s neat and beautiful. There are lawns and forests and it’s on a high hill in the bosom of nature.
And he was thrilled to be given the same cabin that Egyptian President Anwar Sadat stayed in during the Arab Israeli peace talks at the Camp David Accords in 1978.
The 2000 summit, which attempted to broker peace between the Israelis and the PLO, failed. But not because Barak failed to give it his all. Ehud Barak talks about his thought process and desires while attempting to find a way to make both parties, if not happy, then not upset or angry.
This was fascinating.
I have watched and reviewed several historical documentaries over the years, including Dayan: The First Family. Each has been excellent, but none was more impressive than this film. This is a film that history buffs will enjoy.
Director: Ran Tal
Documentary
MPAA Rating: NR
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 85 Min.
VOD & DIGITAL Release Date: 04/04/2023
Language: Hebrew with English Subtitles
Movie Site: WHAT IF? EHUD BARAK ON WAR AND PEACE Official Site
Trailer: WHAT IF? EHUD BARAK ON WAR AND PEACE Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
