Sacred Occupation: Seizing Palestinian Lands (Documentary)

Holy Redemption: The Occupation of Palestinian Land (English title: Holy Redemption) is a documentary produced by TRT World, examining Israel’s unlawful settlement activities and occupation processes in Palestinian territories. Completed in 2024, the film exposes the human rights violations endured by Palestinian civilians as well as the consequences of Israel’s settlement policies under international law. The documentary is directed and produced by Aslıhan Eker Çakmak, Tanju Şahin and Jose Carlos Soares. It reveals the violence perpetrated against Palestinians in the West Bank, the actions of radical settler groups, and the political support these groups receive.

Filming for the documentary began two months after the Israeli assault on Gaza on 7 October 2023, conducted by the TRT World Research Team as they infiltrated Israeli settler communities in the West Bank. The production team operated under strict secrecy and obtained previously unseen footage of the internal lives of radical settler groups. During filming, the activities of Israel’s far-right settler group “Hilltop Youth,” their attacks on Palestinians, and the extent of state support for these actions were documented.

The documentary provides detailed coverage of Israel’s policies of displacing Palestinians, the systematic appropriation of land, the construction of illegal settlements, and the destruction of Palestinian villages. It also includes interviews with Israeli former soldiers, settler leaders, activists and politicians. Among those interviewed are former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Peace Now leader Hagit Ofran, human rights lawyer Michael Sfard, former Hilltop Youth member and Member of Knesset Milletvekili Zvi Sukkot, settler leader Daniella Weiss, and former Israeli army sniper Nadav Weiman.

The documentary presents testimonies from both witnesses and perpetrators to reveal the scale of settler violence in the West Bank. It offers comprehensive visuals on how illegal settlements affect the daily lives of Palestinians, how agricultural land is seized, and how water resources in the region are controlled. The documentary directly supports its claims with on-the-ground observations regarding the violations of international law, human rights abuses, and apartheid-like practices embedded in Israel’s occupation policies.

Through its powerful visual narrative, the documentary evokes historical resonance for audiences in Bosnia-Herzegovina by drawing parallels to the Srebrenica genocide. An emotional connection is established between the events in Gaza and the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, emphasizing that both atrocities have persisted due to the silence of the international community.

The national premiere of the documentary took place on 24 August 2024 at the Atlas Cinema in Istanbul. A prior event themed “A Day for Palestine” was organized, during which TRT General Director Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zahid Sobacı delivered a speech. Sobacı referenced the historical background of the Israeli occupation, summarized the process from the Balfour Declaration to Nakba, and stressed the need for international solidarity in support of Palestinian resistance.

A panel titled “How Has Israel’s Occupation Triggered a Global Moral Crisis?” was also held at the premiere. Panelists included Palestinian activist Issa Amro, historian Robert Martin, thinker Prof. Dr. Sami al-Arian, and Jewish-British historian Prof. Ilan Pappe. In a second panel, American activist Medea Benjamin, writer Aaron Mate, nurse Ahmed Kouta, and Israeli journalist Gideon Levy spoke on Israeli propaganda and the representation of the Palestinian issue in global media.

The documentary was also screened at events held on 14 February 2025 at Istanbul Medeniyet University and on 28 November 2024 at Istanbul Commerce University, where director Aslıhan Eker Çakmak provided detailed insights into the production process and filming conditions.

Holy Redemption was awarded the “Best Documentary and Program Award” at the 7th International Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 18 September 2024. This year’s festival theme was “Justice,” with the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the genocide in Gaza at its center. The TRT World Research Team’s work under challenging field conditions was praised by the festival jury as “a courageous example of documentary journalism.”

In his speech at the ceremony, TRT Deputy General Director Ömer Faruk Tanrıverdi dedicated the award to the Palestinian people and emphasized that the documentary reminded the world of its silence in the face of a new genocide, in a region where the pain of Srebrenica remains fresh. With this award, the documentary became TRT’s second major international documentary award following its production Ukraine War Diaries.

The documentary’s director, Aslıhan Eker Çakmak, works in journalism and documentary production at TRT World. Jose Carlos Soares and Tanju Şahin also contributed to the production. Çakmak has delivered presentations at various universities on both the technical and ethical dimensions of the film, emphasizing the importance of drawing international attention to human rights violations in Palestinian territories.

The documentary was released on TRT’s international channels and digital platforms on 18 September 2024. The 53-minute production reached audiences on TRT World and the Tabii platform. Its step-by-step documentation of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land has garnered a wide viewership.

The documentary is described as part of TRT’s recent vision of “truth-based documentary journalism” and is regarded as a key effort to increase global public awareness of the Palestinian issue.