The Controversial Documentary That's Crashing Apple TV Charts Right Now

There's a new documentary racing up the charts over at Apple TV, and it's not one that you might expect. "Israelism," directed by Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen, takes a look at how Israeli-Palestinian conflict is depicted within Jewish communities in the United States. The documentary has faced its fair share of controversy, with a swath of 2023 screenings canceled in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel amidst claims that "Israelism" — a film that is heavily critical of Israel — was antisemitic. It was pulled from several universities where it was originally scheduled to play, which planted it firmly in the ongoing debate over what materials are appropriate to be distributed at academic institutions. Michelle Goldberg of The New York Times wrote of the cancelations in December 2023, "The fact that a documentary by and about left-wing Jews is seen, on some campuses, as too insensitive to Israel to be shown publicly demonstrates what a confused moment this is for academic free speech."

Since its release, "Israelism" has been met with a firestorm of controversy, provoking strong feelings amongst both supporters of Israel and Palestine. Because it seems to be capturing the emotions of a very specific moment in international politics, it has received a tremendous amount of attention. On June 7, the film's X, formerly known as Twitter, account announced that "Israelism" had reached the No. 1 spot on the Apple TV documentary chart, thanks to pre-orders that poured in prior to its official release.

"Israelism" revolves around the idea that individuals growing up in American Jewish communities are taught their entire lives about the importance of the existence of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people. While this isn't an unreasonable approach, the film argues that it has the end result of creating a culture where it becomes very difficult for anyone, especially people within the Jewish community, to criticize the actions of Israel without being branded antisemitic. 

"Israelism" addresses this source of conflict against a background of increasing hostile behavior by the state of Israel towards the Palestinians, and explores how comfortable (or uncomfortable, as the case may be) young Jewish people may feel speaking out against a country that they have been taught to regard as sacrosanct. At what point are the actions of Israel worthy of condemnation, "Israelism" asks, and how far does Jewish loyalty to the homeland extend?

Officially released on Video on Demand on June 7, 2024, "Israelism" is currently available to rent or buy on a variety of platforms both within the United States and around the world. As noted by the film's X account, it can be found in the United States on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, Youtube, Fandango at Home, and XBox. It is also available worldwide on Vimeo on Demand.

Additionally, the film is still holding public screenings, many at universities, temples, and academic institutions, where it will presumably serve as a launching pad for futher conversation about the issues it brings up. The film's website at Israelismfilm.com includes details about many upcoming screenings taking place in various cities around the world, so if you're interested in seeing "Israelism" with a crowd, that might be your best option, and depending on the buzz it continues to generate, new theater options may pop up at any time.