In the film Divine Intervention, Elia Suleiman uses many examples of symbolism to demonstrate Israeli occupation and the Palestinian right to their state. There are several notable scenes throughout the film which clearly depict this. The first example is the balloon with Yasser Arafat’s’ face on it which flew over the Israeli checkpoint then over Jerusalem till it stopped on top of the Dome of the Rock. The second example is the opening scene from the film in which young boys are chasing Santa Claus who was stabbed. The third example of symbolism is the scene where the woman fights the Israeli soldiers.
When the balloon flies over the check point and makes it to the Dome of the Rock, it sends a very powerful message. Yasser Arafat was the leader of the Palestinian National Authority, a group who believed the land was occupied and wished for it to be returned to Palestine (Ending Occupation). Having the balloon fly over the check point freely is a symbol that Palestinians should be allowed to move around freely. Where the balloon landed is the significant aspect of this symbol because the Dome of the Rock is an extremely important religious site for both Muslims and Jews. It is also part of east Jerusalem which was under Jordanian occupation making it “Palestinian land.” Before this, UN resolution 181 the placed all of Jerusalem under an international mandate, essentially saying Israel has no right to control Jerusalem (Editors of Britannica).
The second example is one which is a more complicated one. When watching the filmthis scene almost seems out of place and plays very little importance in the film. However, when examining the scene further it becomes clear that there are three symbols. The first is Santa Claus, he represents western culture and ideals while his presents that he drops represent western commercialism. The young boys chasing him away represent the Palestinian people resisting these western ideals. This is clear when Santa Claus turns, and the viewer can see the knife that he was stabbed with. The reason the Palestinian people wish to resist these western ideals is because Israeli is seen as western culture because they have embraced it so adamantly. Another reason is because western culture is personified by America which is one of Israeli’s strongest supporters. Many examples of this support can be seen today, the most recent being the relocation the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem essential supporting the Israelis claims that Jerusalem is unified under Israeli rule.
In a third example, we see several symbols as the woman fights the Israeli troops. The first is the woman herself, she is meant to symbolize a Palestinian call to action in resisting the Israelis. This is seen not only by the actions she is taking in fighting the troops, but her headdress is black and white, the traditionally the colors of Palestinian freedom. The Palestinian flag also appears on the ground, this is an important symbol because it is on the ground because it is showing that the land belongs to Palestine. The third symbol in this scene is her shield in the shape of Israel and it is meant to symbolize that the Israelis will only hurt themselves if they fight the Palestinians.
Work Citied
- Palestinian National Authority: Ending the Occupation, Establishing the State, The American Task Force on Palestine, The American Task Force on Palestine, August 2009, http://www.americantaskforce.org/palestinian_national_authority_ending_occupation_establishing_state
- Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, United Nations Resolution 181, Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-Nations-Resolution-181
Through an Arabic Lens: the Intersection of Film and Culture 