If You Make It Possible (1996)

Produced in Israel and the territories, If You Make It Possible offers four uniquely personal, in-depth portraits of Israelis and Palestinians who have devoted their lives to the work of achieving non-violence and coexistence in the Middle East. The title of the project derives from an aphorism in the Koran, the holy book of Islam: "If you make it possible, it is possible." Many Israelis who have seen the documentary have suggested a companion title, a quote from Theodore Herzl, the 20th century Zionist: "If you will it, it is no dream." The project, designed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Lynn Feinerman, focuses its heart upon these thoughts. It brings a sense of reality to these ideas by examining the lives, viewpoints and character traits of the Middle East Peacemaker heroes who live them daily. They reside in a region of the world plagued by ancient hostilities, jealousy of the land which three religions and many cultures hold sacred, and violence instigated by militaristic extremists. Yet even at the risk of their own lives, these Israelis and Palestinians have succeeded - each in his or her own way - in fostering harmonious relations. They have "made it possible" to mend the raveled fabric of Israeli-Palestinian life. The Peacemakers are: Nafez Assaily, a Palestinian Muslim pacifist who co-founded the Palestinian Center for the Study of Non-violence and who now directs the Library on Wheels for Non-violence and Peace; Rabbi Menachem Fruman, a founder of the Gush Emunim religious settler movement, who has been dialoguing with Hamas activists and other orthodox Muslims; Father Bruno Hussar, a Dominican priest who is founder and scion of Neve Shalom / Wahat Al Salaam, a Jewish-Arab village with a fully integrated, tri-lingual primary school and an internationally recognized School for Peace; Nabila Espanioly and Hannah Safran, a dual portrait of a Palestinian woman and an Israeli woman who have built a close friendship through their work in womens' advocacy groups. These individuals span the political spectrum. They do not fit into any facile political or religious categories. They are unique. Their uniqueness and their originality are what give their work its clarity and strength.