1948: Creation & Catastrophe (Full documentary)

Through riveting and moving personal recollections of both Palestinians and Israelis, 1948: Creation & Catastrophe reveals the shocking events of the most pivotal year in the most controversial conflict in the world. It tells the story of the establishment of Israel as seen through the eyes of the people who lived it. But rather than being a history lesson, this documentary is a primer for the present. It is simply not possible to make sense of what is happening today without an understanding of 1948. This documentary was the last chance for many of its Israeli and Palestinian characters to narrate their first-hand accounts of the creation of a state and the expulsion of a nation. Hear stories from the Israelis and Palestinians who personally lived through events in Haifa, Jaffa, Dayr Yasin, Acre, Jerusalem, Ramla, Lydda and more. These shocking and dramatic events reveal the core of what drives the conflict today.

Note from the producers:
This documentary is ten years in the making. We collected dozens of stories from fighters, refugees (many still living in camps) and survivors of the war. Their stories are powerful, heart-breaking and shocking.

On top of those interviews, we conducted a mountain of research (over 20,000 pages of history), painstakingly fact-checking every statement made in the documentary. Our team gathered photographs and film from archives across the globe. We retrieved copies of military orders from Israeli archives. We translated dozens of Arabic and Hebrew interviews as well as secondary documents. And we interviewed and consulted with some of the most respected historians in the field.

This has been a colossal amount of work. We sincerely hope you get something out of it.

Andy Trimlett & Dr. Ahlam Muhtaseb

0:00 Introduction
12:14 Partition
19:37 Plan D
23:11 Dayr Yasin
31:32 Haifa
36:22 Jaffa
42:16 Declaration
47:44 Acre
51:14 Ramla & Lydda
58:39 Negba & Nazareth
1:01:43 Beersheba
1:04:30 Preventing Return
1:09:35 Design
1:14:23 Villages
1:16:35 Statehood
1:20:24 Returning
1:22:32 Conclusion