Four Mothers film review — Jewish Film Review

Description: The 1982 Lebanon War was launched in response to repeated PLO attacks on Israel’s northern border towns. The war’s objective was met that year with the organisation’s flight from the country. However, although there was a partial withdrawal in 1985, Israel chose to retain partial control of the South Lebanon Security Belt, a strip accounting for about 10% of the country. Over the following twelve years a mounting resistance to the occupation by Hezbollah claimed the lives of hundreds of Israeli servicemen. Following a helicopter accident in February 1985, in which 73 IDF soldiers were killed, four mothers of soldiers who had or were serving in Lebanon organised a protest calling for an immediate unilateral withdrawal. The grassroots organisation they formed, that came to be known as ‘Four Mothers’ lobbied for this objective.

We are introduced to four activists (three of the ‘original’ mothers and Orna Shim’oni, who joined them later) through their words and snapshots of their offsprings in the pre-title sequence. The four are interviewed extensively and the film is peppered with archival footage of the war and news coverage of the movement’s activities. Following Ehud Barak’s election, in 1999, Israel withdrew from Lebanon.

Merits: The Levins touch on many interesting subjects, including the public debate about whether the activists were weakening the resolve of the IDF soldiers. Following one incident that led to the death of some colleagues, a serviceman claimed that his fatal hesitation was influenced by the movement. The group’s exclusive focus on the demand to withdraw from Lebanon was strictly justified by motherly concern for their serving offsprings in a ‘useless war’. Other motivations such as concern for human rights of Lebanese civilians or related issues such as opposition to the expansion of west bank settlements, for example, were not on their agenda. At the same time, it appears that the chauvinistic and patronising attitudes of the military and political elites they encountered radicalised some of them further. Nevertheless, the early 1999 split that led to the formation of a more militant offshoot, Kav Adom, is not mentioned.

Rating: Suitable for all audiences.

Programming considerations: Israeli expats, those interested in Israeli peace activism. A 52m version is also available.

Four Mothers

And I Was There

Rain in her Eyes