And There Was Israel -

The film places a heavy emphasis on the responsibility of the Western world—specifically Britain, France, and the United States—in partitioning the land. It highlights the "behind-the-scenes machinations" at the United Nations , noting that alternative proposals, such as a federal state including both Jews and Palestinians, were often sidelined or never put to a vote. This framing suggests that the current stalemate in the region is not an ancient religious blood feud, but a contemporary crisis born from specific choices made by 20th-century world leaders.

The following essay analyzes the central themes and arguments presented in the documentary. And There Was Israel

A central pillar of the film is its "erudite dissection" of how religious mythology was transformed into modern nationalism. It traces the ideological evolution of Zionism from the early writings of Theodor Herzl through the declaration of the state in 1948. Rather than viewing these events through a strictly theological lens, the documentary uses seven academics from fields like sociology, law, and history to frame the narrative as a secular "colonial project" influenced by the power structures of the Western world. The film places a heavy emphasis on the