To Die in Jerusalem: A Look at the HBO Series

Another girl hated to study.

One girl lived in one neighborhood.

Another girl lived in another.

One girl wanted to finish school and go on to be an independent success.

Another girl was already engaged and was ready to drop out.

One girl loved life.

Another girl loved death.

These two girls were so alike physically that it would not be a surprise to learn that they were actually related. The fundamental difference, however, came when Ayat al-Akhras strapped several explosives on herself and decided to kill Rachel Levy. This is the setting for the dramatic HBO documentary To Die in Jerusalem, following the two mothers whose daughters were killed in a "martyrdom operation".

The documentary takes place in Jerusalem, the turbulent and often times unaccepted capitol of Israel, following the families whose daughters were affected in the suicide bombing of Ayat, a Palestinian girl. The documentary was highly advertised, with the director appearing on a number of news and talk shows to build up interest in the program. It is promoted as an important look into two mothers that should be similar in as many ways as their daughters are, but we learn that they're different in just the same ways their children were.

Rachel Levy's family, Jewish Israeli citizens living in Jerusalem, are constantly sympathetic. Politics never enter their minds until they're brought up by their interviewers, they feel simple regret, remorse, tragedy at the absence of their child. They spend a good portion of the documentary explaining all the aspirations of Rachel, how studious she was, how she encouraged education in those around her, and how she was a role model for those around her. Memorials are held for her at her high school, where people pray together, hold hands, and sing in her honor.

The documentary, however, seems to spend a majority of its time focusing on the Palestinian perspective - and like a tragic car wreck, we are drawn to these stories. It seems like a giant cliche, the Palestinian terrorist that gives up everything they love so that they can get at the Jewish enemy, poorly educated and not understanding the situation that surrounds them. But all the while, the family does not show remorse that their daughter is dead, but anger that, in their minds, Israel created a situation whereby she was forced to kill herself.

Ayat al-Akhras's words are explained several times - she swears that the al-Aqsa mosque must be taken back because it is being enjoyed by Europeans, and Muslims aren't allowed to pray there, how she must resist the occupiers and drive them out of Palestine. It seems all too tragic then that she was drastically mistaken - and Muslims are indeed permitted to pray as they wish.

The family of Ayat do not join one another in grief, but anger and in violence. They do not pity Rachel Levy's tragedy, in fact, one Palestinian who was arrested for attempting to carry out a suicide bombing, openly accused Levy's mother of lying about her daughter's death. She then goes on to explain how necessary the suicide bombings are - which is the common theme, the tone of the entire Palestinian perspective.

As the documentary goes on, with zero coaching, with zero prompting from Western crews, we see into the raw, terrifying mind of the Palestinians, who decide that the only currency in which they can barter is violence and blood.

The Israeli family and the Palestinian family do not treat the absence of their daughters the same way - the Israeli family wants their daughter back because the love her and miss her.

The Palestinian family want their daughter back so that they can carry out another martyrdom operation.