AllMovie

This documentary caused a furor when it was first shown at the San Francisco Film Festival in 1981 because the Jewish writer, producer, and director David Koff focused on the issue of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, from the perspective of the Palestinians. The Palestinian claims to disputed lands are held up against the statements of Israelis in interview segments, and in balance the statements do not weaken the validity of the Palestinian views. Violence against Palestinians is shown, and finally, U.S. support of Israel is illustrated by scenes from a fund-raising banquet in New York City. The director made the point that the documentary is one-sided in order to balance the coverage in the U.S. media which has already made the audience familiar with Palestinian terrorism. The issues raised were so hot a topic that a bomb threat shut down the theater for 25 minutes before the screening.