This video was made by a Palestinian man in the West Bank in December 2008. Israeli settlers angry at being evicted by the government attacked Palestinians in the area. The video shows a confrontation between settlers and Palestinians in which a settler shot three men from close range.
The video was made by Jamal Abu S'aifan using a camera provided by B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organisation. B’Tselem began handing out video cameras in the West Bank three years ago to allow civilians to document incidents of abuse and violence.
Empowerment
B’Tselem won the British One World Media award this week for its camera distribution project. Oren Yakobovich, director of B’Tselem’s video department, says the initial aim of the project was to provide the international mass media with footage of settler and army violence. After three years the project has become much more.
“What we discovered as we developed the project is that, first of all, you are creating a community. It’s a network of people who are filming and it’s a great tool for empowerment. Many times the ones using the cameras are children and women who are finding their voice in the fight through this project.
“It’s also non-violent, so instead of throwing stones, the kids are running and taking the camera. So it’s a great way not to get into trouble.”
Being watched
Mr Yakobovich believes the cameras are an effective weapon for unarmed Palestinian civilians.
“The level of violence is reducing because in places where you have cameras and people filming. Then the settlers and the army know that they are being watched, and immediately they act differently.”
“There is still a lack of law enforcement in the West Bank, but we see more investigation and we see more justice being done.”
High-risk areas
More than 100 cameras were distributed to people living in dangerous West Bank areas: near Israeli settlements, army bases, or areas where army incursions are frequent. In several cases of violence the project has produced evidence useful to the police.
Videos depicting abuse and racism from settlers have sparked intense debate within Israel, particularly a widely seen clip of an Israeli settler calling a Palestinian teenager a "whore" directly into the camera.
Some of the videos show the cameraman being cursed or assaulted, but Mr Yakobovich says the cameras do not endanger people more than is normal.
“I have to say that most of people are living in high-risk areas anyway. So it’s dangerous in any case. And the camera is helping them.
“But sometimes they’re getting attacked. They’re getting lots of training about when to film and how to protect themselves. Sometimes we ask them not to go out into the streets and to film from their house.”
Other training includes education in human rights, video skills and finding one’s creative voice. The training seems to be paying off. Not all the videos are shakey scenes of violence: one man filmed a short documentary about a family with ten children living in a cave.
Verify footage
To outsiders some of the videos can be confusing. It is not always clear who is attacking who and in what context. Mr Yakobovich says B’Tselem always reports on the footage before releasing it to the media.
“Every time we have something happening in the footage, we immediately send people to get testimonies from around (the area) and investigate the case. When we are 100 percent sure that we can verify the footage, only then do we release it.”
See more videos made by Palestinian citizens on the B’Tselem web site.
Listen to the interview with Oren Yakobovich, director of B’Tselem’s video department:
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