Rating: 
Summary: Great until the end...
Review: I echo all the positive reviews about this DVD. It would have been fascinating at twice the length (i.e., nearly 10 hours), and probably could have benefited from being longer, too. I hated to see it end ... knowing that the conflict is NOT at an end. Twenty-five years from now PBS will release an edition entitled "The 75 Years War" - fifty years from now an edition entitled "The 100 Years War" - etc. It is so sad and frustrating and alternately hopeful and hopeless.As I said, it is/was great ... until the end, when they had to include scenes of "President" Clinton. Yecch! Seeing his face again on my TV turned my stomach. His absence has been so nice these past 13 months. Oh, well ... I can always fast-forward through these scenes on the next viewing. By the way, I found this 2-DVD set USED for $5.99! What a deal. It's definitely worth paying full price for.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent journalism for those looking to learn
Review: As a Lebanese-american, I grew up in the region during the 70s and 80s before I moved here. I was too young to understand the true conflicts in and around our country. This DVD helped bridge that gap for me and present me with a hsistorical view of how everything happened. Since I am highly doubtful of unbiased jouralism, I was suprised to see how good of a job PBS did here. They truly interviewed all the key figures and presented a factual approach to both sides of the story.
In my opinion, I think this is the best docuemntary about the middle-east, arab-israeli war, and the past 50 years. I think this is a great DVD for those looking to get caught up, to understand, or to learn.
Rating:
Summary: Very Objective
Review: This is a very objective and fair documentary including commentaries from both sides of the conflict. It is a clear and accurate account of the history.Although it might miss some details, the comments made by the people who took part in these events are pricless for accurate rendition of what actually happened.
Rating:
Summary: Very Detailed Documentary
Review: This is a set of 2 DVD's on the history of the Arab/Israeli conflict. Though it is SLIGHTLY pro-Israel, it still is a fair acessment of the situation. It has many interviews with leaders and figures of the time as well as footage and maps of the conflicts. Very in depth on most issues. I recomend it. I would have given it 5 stars, but it deserves 4.75 stars.
Rating:
Summary: superb unbiased review! especially the 1973 yom kippur war
Review: A superb review. Do not bother reading some slanted pathetic attempts by some racial motivated arabs who claim that this review is biased. It truly is a crash course in this terrible conflict, teaches us bout the dictatorships in the middle east who attempt time and time again to destroy the only judeo-christian "blemish" in this pathetic part of the world. How these natiosn go to war against a tiny country, how they mistrust each other and plot over and over again against the jews, christians and themselves.
Rating: 
Summary: Well Done but...
Review: This documentary is well done. I believe that most of what's in this amazing documentary movie is true except the part about 73 war and thats why I gave it 3 stars only. (...)This very true and important part is completely omitted from this documenatry!!
Rating:
Summary: A balanced perspective is necessary
Review: This series is a beginning for giving people a balanced perspective on the issue, and the reviews posted for this DVD remind one of just how hard that is. Evil Arabs! Evil Jews! They did the WORST thing in history! Settlers took our land for the ONLY time in history! Hello?! Anybody home? This is the oldest story in the world--people take other peoples land, treaties are made, treaties are broken, wars happen, counter-wars happen. If you can get out of your own biased box and get some perspective, you'd all see that the actual news in Israel is how little blood has actually been spilled considering how much both sides resent eachother. There is no good solution to fights like this, but it's worth remembering: things could get a lot worse! Of course both sides have been and are wrong--both sides have been and are right. You cannot possibly redo the past, so you have to keep coming back to table and realize that a better future for everyone--Palestinian and Israeli--is in everyones' interests. War is really not as much fun as peace and prosperity guys. You could both have it. Just keep on trying and it will eventually work, then the war will fade into the past, like hundreds--thousands--of other similar situations throughout history. I don't have a dog in this fight, which is why I just wish you'd all step back and see how much there still is to save for each side and not risk destroying eachother totally.
Rating:
Summary: A Crash Course in Modern Palestine
Review: In 2 CDs and about 5 hours this is a superb means to understanding the Current State of the Mideast. It uses personal interviews with American presidents and negotiators as well as interviews with Israeli and Arabs political and military leaders. Enhanced with very well edited historical films and news coverage, you get a balanced view. Ironically, by viewing the video you get a very real sense that progress is actually being made at resolving a conflict that has outlasted the British Empire, The Cold War, and a half century of US Presidents. While still a documentary it was captivating, interesting and extremely educational. You would be hard pressed to match this information in the viewing time. See it.
Rating:
Summary: What about Rachel's Tomb?
Review: Basil claims that Israel burns down Muslim holy sites. He is just spouting hate and rhetoric, the same kind of language that is used to brainwash terrorists. Ask Basil why the Palestinians burned downed Rachel's Tomb? One of the holiest sites for Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Rating:
Summary: Peace with Israel?
Review: Over 600 Palestinians are killed from November/2000 to August/2001, and about 30% of them are kids and about 4 infants...what type of peace does Israel want?! palestinians and Arabs never destroyed temples, nor burn farms, or attack foriegn reporters, but Jewish setllers are doing so all the time, and its on newspapers and international TV stations! The case is so easy and simple...Land has been taken by force from its owners and a new immigrants have come to replace them. Importing citizens never happened in any other country in all history, but it happened in Palestine, with the help of Britian and the USA, who always brag about human rights and peace! So-called "Israel" should learn how to live in peace with its neighbours, instead of spreading hatred and create bloodshed all the time. Arabs dont need this country as much it needs them for security and peace of its own servival and future of its kids.
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