Endgame: A Future Scenario for Israel

48 minutes

Dutch Narrative - English subtitles - English spoken by interviewees


A future scenario for The Place of Judgment, the Middle East.
Are we on course to a doom scenario? What are the scenarios for the Near East in the forseeable future? Tension in the Middle East is mounting again, as political decisions in both the United States and Iran are now being taken by neoconservatives. 'Both places have idiots in charge', states colonel Lawrence Wilkerson. And the weapon of mass destruction scenario has been dug up again, this time for Iran.

Plans of attack are being made and pre-emptive strikes are being considered. Backlight presents an ominous future view on the Middle East, the Place of Judgment. For 'Endgame', director Marije Meerman has gathered opinions and attitudes from the US, Israel and Iran concerning Israel's near future. Could the possible US withdrawal from Iraq herald the destruction of Israel? And will the pro-Israel stances of the presidential candidates affect their chances? How will any rethinking of American foreign policy impact on the region?

Backlight spoke to: Martin van Creveld (Israeli military historian), Tony Judt (British historian), Brigitte Gabriel (Christian Lebanese emigre), Lawrence Wilkerson (former chief of staff to Colin Powell), Etgar Keret (Israeli writer), Anoush Ehteshami (British-Iranian political scientist) and Richard Perle (American neoconservative).

This episode also features Ahmadinejad, pastor John Hagee and Barack Obama in an attempt to illustrate the frontlines of a possible Third World War. Could the increasing tension regarding the escalation of the conflict lead to a self-fulfulling prophesy?