Searching for Freedom: The Holy Land Foundation (2016)

The film "Searching for Freedom: The Holy Land Foundation" is a two part documentary focussing on the story of the Holy Land Foundation, established in the late 80s by three Americans from Palestinian origin, Shukri Abu Baker, Ghassan Elashi and Mohammad El-Mezain. The foundation aimed to supply humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Palestine and countries hosting Palestinian refugees, it later became the largest charity association in the US to distribute humanitarian aid to Palestinians. After 9/11, the former US President George W. Bush issued a decision to shut down the Holy Land Foundation and freeze its assets. In 2007 the Holy Land Foundation trials began, where five of its members were charged with funding terrorism and sending money to Hamas, a blacklisted political group in the US. A second trial for the Holy Land Foundation members took place in 2008, which issued the convictions of five members of the Foundation and their sentencing of 65 years imprisonment. The film looks at the new evidence arising and the secret witnesses who came from the Israeli Occupation State to provide testimonies for the second trial. This in itself was considered a precedent in the history of the American Justice System, talking about the mysterious circumstances experienced by the Court. The film highlights the difficult conditions experienced by the members of the Holy Land Foundation, their family, friends and the support they found in their communities.