Review of The Gatekeepers (2012) by Walter M — 11 Mar 2013

With keen insights that go beyond the Arab-Israeli conflict, "The Gatekeepers" is a very incisive documentary that consists of interviews with six former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency tasked with overlooking the occupied territories and attempting to stop future terrorist attacks which are impossible to always predict, much less prevent, as it is very difficult to predict how a single human being will always act. And like in the opening conversation, one interviewee points out that there are more than two possible outcomes to every military action, not to mention consequences down the line which he tries to tell his civilian bosses about. While one would assume new technology would make the job easier, that also comes with its own unique set of drawbacks, as another interviewee thinks back fondly on the days they relied on human intelligence.

Even the archival footage is fascinating in itself as it documents incidents those of us living outside of Israel have probably never heard of and form a continuing part of the narrative that starts with Israel's triumphant victory in the 1967 Six Day War, followed by it assuming custody of new territories and new peoples. Ironically, that is the beginning of a perpetual headache that as can be seen here can only be managed, not solved. In the end, the only solution these hardened military men can find is to talk with their opposite numbers, even as the conversation is currently dominated by fanatics.