Approved for 12+

With God On Our Side

"With God On Our Side" takes a hard look at the theology and politics of Christian Zionism, which teaches that, because the Jews are God’s chosen people, Israeli government policies should not be questioned, even when these policies are unjust.
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Dove Review

In this 2010 documentary, Christopher Harrell conducts his own investigation into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the goal of uncovering the Palestinian perspective. Harrell states that he is an American pastor’s son and was raised, like most American Christians, to unquestionably support Israel. He and his parents began to question this notion, leading to the creation of this film.

“With God On Our Side” takes the viewer on a lengthy journey through the historical perspective of the Palestinian, who views Israel as a people who took their land in 1948, forcing out, by gunpoint, the Palestinians who lived there for centuries. One commentator, Ilan Pappe, Ph.D., describes the state of Israel as undoubtedly committing ethnic cleansing against Palestinians. The purpose of this documentary is to challenge the Christian Zionist beliefs using biblical scripture (notably Genesis 12:2-3 and Joel 3:2) and cause Christians to sympathize with Palestinians who, as the documentary purports, have endured undeserved suffering at the hands of the state of Israel. Only two commentators in the documentary are pro-Christian Zionist. Rev. John Hagee, of Christians United for Israel, and Malcolm Hedding, of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, are given minimal screen time to explain the position of Christian Zionism. Other than those two voices, the documentary leaves the Jewish perspective unrepresented.

Harrell wraps up the film with the call to Christians to become peacemakers. However, as the film largely represents just one side of the conflict, “peace” remains elusive. The plight that Jews have faced throughout history is minimized and presented to suggest the Jewish people have brought it upon themselves. Frankly, “With God on Our Side” lacks balance in presentation, and the content causes it to come across more as anti-Israel propaganda than an unbiased documentary. As a result, this reviewer does not recommend this film to anyone unwilling to take the time to honestly investigate all aspects of Christian Zionism as it relates to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, the film meets all of The Dove Foundation’s requirements for approval and, thus, earns the Family approved Dove seal for ages 12 and up.

Dove Rating Details

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Faith

None

0
Integrity

Israeli-Palestinian conflict discussed. Black and white photos of soldiers and individuals who were shot.

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Sex

None

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Language

None

2
Violence

Israeli-Palestinian conflict discussed. Black and white photos of soldiers and individuals who were shot.

0
Drugs

None

0
Nudity

None

0
Other

None

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