The ‘terrorist’ figure is a racialized construct with roots in colonialist history. This concept justifies violence and control over Muslims and is reinforced through the ‘good Muslim/bad Muslim’ dichotomy (Byler, 2024). The documentary Five Broken Cameras shows the impact of the counterterrorism infrastructure on the habitus of the Palestinian community. The concept of the ‘terrorist’ is intertwined with colonial legacies and racialization. The film, Five Broken Cameras analyses the impact of walls, police activity, and land boundaries on Palestinian communities and proposes structural changes to dismantle these oppressive systems.
The oppression of the Palestinian community depicted in Five Broken Cameras is not simply a modern phenomenon but has deep historical roots. The concept of ‘terrorist’ was invented during the colonial era to criminalize resistance, framing resistance as illegitimate and irrational violence. For example, during the British Mandate of Palestine, the Palestinian national movement was distorted in this way, which gradually led to the Palestinians not being seen as legitimate political subjects (Byler, 2024). Zionism borrowed this colonialist narrative to present Palestinian communities as a threat and to justify settler colonialist policies of exclusion. Zionism has portrayed Palestinian land as ‘empty,’ rationalizing settlement and military occupation, while systematically erasing the existence and rights of Palestinians (Bishara, 2015). In this context, the ‘good Muslim/bad Muslim’ dichotomy is used as a tool to perpetuate colonialism and racialized violence. Conformist Muslims are seen as ‘good’ and tolerated, while those who resist are portrayed as ‘evil’ terrorists, which framework serves to invalidate Palestinian legitimate demands and legitimize oppression by labelling resistance itself as violence(Byler, 2024). The concept of ‘terrorist’ has been a central pillar of colonialist violence and racialized narratives. Understanding this historical context is the first step towards deconstructing the oppressive realities facing Palestinians today and, in doing so, building a just and equitable system.
Defined by Pierre Bourdieu, habitus reflects embedded practices shaped by social and political structures (Bishara, 2015). For Palestinians, habitus is constantly changing and reconfigured by oppressive infrastructures such as barriers, checkpoints, and surveillance systems (Byler, 2024). For example, the West Bank barrier cuts off 60 percent of the agricultural land in the village of Bil’in, causing residents to lose their livelihoods (IS105 Week 8 slide). These physical boundaries disrupt economic ties, divide communities, and create psychological turmoil. In addition, military courts and mass detentions create fear, limit freedom, and serve as a means of sustained oppression of Palestinians. In addition, AI surveillance systems such as Blue Wolf categorize Palestinians into security levels, internalizing surveillance as a part of everyday life (Goodfriend, 2023). The constant surveillance places a psychological burden on children and families in particular, causing anxiety and stress (Goodfriend, 2023). So, the counterterrorism infrastructure physically and psychologically represses the Palestinian community’s way of life and serves as a tool to control their daily lives.
Five Broken Cameras is a visual depiction of how Palestinian communities live within and resist Israel’s oppressive infrastructure. Through the personal narrative of Emad Burnat, the documentary analyses the impact of the separation barrier, police violence and land confiscation on the community’s habitus. This oppression does not end at the physical level, but persists in psychological and social ways as well, reshaping the daily lives of the residents. First, the film shows how the separation barrier has deprived the villagers of their economic base. The West Bank barrier pushed 60 percent of the borrowed farmland behind the barrier, causing residents to lose their livelihoods (Byler, 2024). More than just a physical boundary, the barrier acts as a tool to sever economic ties and cultural roots. The film uses wide-angle shots to emphasize how massive and disconnected the barrier is. This visual representation reveals that the wall is not just a security device, but a symbol of structural oppression. Secondly, police and military forces are presented throughout the film as a threat to Palestinians’ daily lives. Through arrests, detentions, and physical violence at protest sites, the film vividly demonstrates the psychological terror and family breakdown that police violence causes for residents (Five Broken Cameras, 118:20-123:15). Close-up shots during protests convey the personal and immediate impact of police brutality, allowing the audience to understand the harsh cost of resistance intuitively. Third, the film highlights the economic marginalization and isolation that Palestinians face as a result of settlement expansion and land confiscation. The shots of residents looking at their land from afar are filmed in long shots, visually maximizing the sense of loss and powerlessness they feel. The shot is symbolic of how land confiscation erodes people’s identity and community. These land confiscations are more than just economic damage; they are part of a larger goal to erase the very existence of the Palestinian people (Bishara, 2015). The film visually reveals the strength of the community in the face of structural oppression, and clearly shows how the oppressive infrastructure physically and psychologically reshapes the Palestinian way of life. The five broken cameras reveal the dynamics of oppression and resistance while delivering a powerful message calling for structural change to dismantle this oppression.
Structural changes must be made to dismantle the oppressive realities experienced by the Palestinian community. Physical boundaries such as the West Bank barrier must be removed, restoring people’s mobility and economic access (Byler, 2024). These barriers are more than just physical boundaries; they are oppressive tools that cut off people’s livelihoods and sever cultural ties. In addition, military courts must be replaced with a transparent and fair legal system so that Palestinians can have their legal rights protected. Furthermore, Palestinian political representation must be ensured and an inclusive society must be built so that the population is recognized as a political entity. Local community resistance shows a powerful potential to confront oppression. As the case of the village of Bilin shows, sustained non-violent protest by residents in solidarity is a powerful challenge to oppressive systems. Such community-based activism goes beyond local solidarity and provides an important platform for catalyzing international change. Finally, global corporations and governments must be held accountable for their support of surveillance technologies and occupation (Goodfriend, 2023). Surveillance systems like Blue Wolf are used as a means to control Palestinians’ daily lives and perpetuate the occupation. The international community must end them and advocate for positive structural change that will allow Palestinians to enjoy their basic rights and freedoms. These changes would be an important first step towards ending oppression and building a just society.
In conclusion, the film, five broken cameras is a vivid reminder of the impact of counter-terrorism policies and the occupation on the lives of Palestinians. Beyond physical oppression, the barriers and surveillance systems deepen psychological and cultural oppression. Addressing this oppression requires dismantling colonial structures and building social systems that ensure equality and justice. International solidarity and local resistance will play a key role in restoring the rights of the Palestinian community.
References
Bishara, A. (2015). Driving while Palestinian in Israel and the West Bank: The politics of disorientation and the routes of a subaltern knowledge. American Ethnologist, 42(1), 33-54. https://doi.org/10.1111/amet.12114
Byler, Darren, 2024. “Lecture Week 8.”
Goodfriend, S. (2023). Algorithmic state violence: Automated surveillance and Palestinian dispossession in Hebron’s Old City. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 55(3), 461-478. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020743823000879