On June 24, 2021, Palestinian political activist Nizar Banat died after being violently beaten by Palestinian security forces. Banat was a fierce critic of corruption in the Palestinian Authority. His killing had an immediate effect: Thousands took to the streets in the Palestinian Territories to protest against the ruling Fatah party and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The 86-year-old Abbas is clinging on to his position, having cancelled the first elections in 16 years. Our reporters Gwendoline Debono and Laurent Van der Stockt went to meet Palestinians who are openly denouncing their leadership and who feel abandoned.
In this documentary, Nizar Banat's family members speak out about the intimidation they say they have suffered in their fight to obtain justice for him. Camp militiamen tell us why they are now joining radical movements. Students in the Hebron region, meanwhile, feel abandoned amid increasing violence from Israeli settlers. Former Israeli security officials warn of the dangerous nature of the situation in the Palestinian Territories.
Our reporters travelled around the West Bank, from Hebron to Nablus and from Ramallah to Balata, where more and more Palestinians are expressing their lack of hope. As Nizar Banat's cousin told us: "We are caught between two occupiers. The Israeli occupier and the occupier that is the Authority of Mahmoud Abbas”.
