The conflict between Israel and Palestine seems as entrenched as any on Earth – weighed down by implacable forces of history and religion, it’s harder to imagine a resolution than it is to imagine hostilities continuing for years to come. Yet Nadav Schirman’s new film, The Green Prince, is a potent reminder that any conflict, no matter how deep-rooted, is the result of human actions, of individuals making choices that might run counter to the dictates of nation, family, and religion, even if those choices are hidden in shadows.
The Green Prince is the story of Mosab Hassan Yousef, who grew up like many teens in the West Bank - full of anger and defiance towards Israel, waiting for a time when he could fight back – but unlike most Palestinians, Yousef’s father is a high-ranking leader in Hamas. When he was just a teenager, Mosab acquired some weapons and was arrested before he could even devise a plan to use them. In prison, he began to learn harsh truths about the tactics of the family business. Hamas’ presence within the prison was even stronger than outside, and they enforced their rules through torture, often leading to death, and often using circular logic that could entrap innocent people. The exposure to torture, along with his hatred of suicide bombing, led Mosab to see Hamas as more of a problem than a solution. These sentiments afforded Mosab some small peace of mind when he was pressured into informing for Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security agency; Mosab was not an Israeli collaborator, he thought, and his new handlers encouraged him to think, he was saving human lives.
Mosab and Shin Bet, primarily through handler Gonen Ben Yitzhak, maintained a relationship for over a decade, during which time Mosab became closer and closer to the center of Hamas activities, eventually serving as his father’s personal secretary. Mosab was caught in a constant struggle between his personal ethics and the shameful sense that he had betrayed everything he held dear. Meanwhile, the Israelis were pushing him towards more dangerous situations, attempting to wring as much intelligence as possible from this valuable asset without risking his exposure.
The film is primarily comprised of interviews with Yousef and Yitzhak, supplemented with reenactments, battle footage, and even some archival footage of Yousef from before he broke his cover. Schirman adeptly recreates the aesthetic of a spy thriller – night vision cameras and dark rooms – and we often feel as if we are watching Mosab’s movements as the Shin Bet did; covertly, from satellite footage, with a breathless sense of foreboding. Story aside, the film gives excellent insight into the vagaries of 21st century intelligence work.
Probably wisely for such a politically fraught subject, but maybe disappointing to some, the film stays politically neutral, telling a personal story with a political backdrop. The story that eventually develops is a surprising one. Mosab’s situation becomes too dangerous to remain in Israel and he leaves for the U.S., coming clean about his activities. His family disowns him and both Hamas and Al Qaeda sign warrants for his death. But the U.S. authorities don’t have proof of his informant activities, only proof of ties to terrorists, and are disposed to reject his asylum and deport him back to near-certain death. Hearing this, his former handler Yitzhak, who perhaps knows the true Mosab better than anyone alive, risks his own life and reputation to testify on Mosab’s behalf, without Shin Bet’s permission, helping Mosab win asylum. Despite all odds, the two men grew to respect each other over their years working together and still talk on the phone weekly.
The Green Prince is a tense, real-world thriller that shows a man asserting his free will in an impossible situation. Mosab followed his conscience into incredible danger and uncharted moral territory. Living in exile with the threat of death still hanging over him, Mosab has paid a terrible price for his actions, but seems at peace that he chose to value human lives over any specific country or creed.
