Hoop en Wanhoop in het Midden-Oosten

VICE News: The Islamic State

June 2025 •English

With unprecedented and exclusive access, VICE News journalist and filmmaker Medyan Dairieh spent three weeks filming alone inside the self-proclaimed caliphate of the Islamic State. The Islamic State, a hardline Sunni jihadist group that formerly had ties to al Qaeda, has conquered large swathes of Iraq and Syria. Previously known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the group has announced their intention to reestablish the caliphate and declared their leader, the shadowy Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as the caliph.

Sacrificing Liberty

June 2025 •English

The true story of the USS Liberty is more shocking than any spy novel written by Tom Clancy. The most top-secret spy ship in the world. Its client was the NSA. The ship and its 294 U.S. Navy sailors were rushed to the Mediterranean Sea. Only the White House and Pentagon knew that Israel was ready to attack Arab nations. The USS Liberty was deliberately sent into a kill zone. The casualties were staggering: 34 killed and 174 wounded. The coverup began immediately and has continued since 1967. Until now! The aging survivors have finally told their true story. Sacrificing Liberty sets the record straight.

Israel and the Arabs: The 50 Years War

June 2025 •English

The conflict in the Middle East between Israel and its neighbors is given comprehensive treatment in six 50 min episodes produced by PBS. Using archival footage and extensive interviews with participants, the production begins by explaining conditions in Palestine at the end of World War II and the crisis created by the exodus of European Jews who went to the Middle East after the Holocaust. The withdrawal of the British, who had controlled Palestine for decades, is detailed, as is the creation of the state of Israel. Much of the region's history is complex, with the local struggles being conducted at times as a part of the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union, but these videos do an admirable job of explaining the complexities of the situation. The segment on the Six Day War, for example, is masterful, with the scenes shifting from Israel to Egypt to Washington to Moscow.

Unveiling Arafat

June 2025 •French

A portrait of Palestinian political leader Yasser Arafat (1929-2004).

Pillar of Fire

June 2025 •Hebrew

Pillar of Fire focuses on the History of Zionism, beginning in 1896, in the wake of Theodor Herzl's revival of the concept of Jewish nationalism and continues to follow the Jewish People in the 20th century, the early stages of Zionism, followed by the waves of Aliyah prior to the founding of Israel, the Revival of the Hebrew language, the Ottoman Empire's rule in over the Land of Israel, the British Mandate, Anti-Semitism in Europe, the rise of Nazism and The Holocaust, the history of the Yishuv, the Jewish struggle for independence, and ends in 1948, with the Israeli Declaration of Independence.

Al Jazeera World

June 2025 •English

A one-hour series showcasing documentary films from across the Al Jazeera Network.

Jeunesse arabe, yallah!

June 2025 •French

Ross Kemp: Middle East

June 2025 •English

Ross Kemp journeys to the Middle East where the bitter conflict has cost tens of thousands of lives and forced millions to live in fear and misery. Ross visits Gaza one year on from Operation Cast Lead, a massive Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip that saw as many as 1,400 Palestinians die, thousands of homes destroyed, and much of Gaza's infrastructure obliterated. He then travels to Israel and discovers a country divided, one that is surrounded by enemies and living under the constant fear of rocket attacks and suicide bombs from groups dedicated to its destruction.

The Frankincense Trail

June 2025 •English

Series in which intrepid presenter Kate Humble follows the ancient frankincense trade route of Arabia across the amazing modern world of the Middle East. Kate's journey along the 2,000-mile trail that first connected the Arab world with the West takes her on a quest that's steeped in history, searing with desert heat, and full of characters and adventure.

The Arabs: A Living History

June 2025 •English

A series of ten one-hour documentaries which explores Arab history, culture and society from within through the lives and opinions of Arabs today.

Shadow of Truth

June 2025 •Hebrew

In 2006, the body of the girl Tair Rada was found in the bathroom stall at the school where she studied. Days later, the police arrested a suspect - Roman Zadorov, and after a week of intense interrogation he admits and restores the murder. However, even after he was convicted three times, many still believe in his innocence. The series explores the length and breadth provision and leaving no stone unturned in an attempt to complete the picture of the puzzle, exposing new and dramatic discoveries. Through a complex mosaic of interviews, photographs and cinematic touch with the extensive use of inquiry and archives, the show tries to fathom the overwhelming truth.

Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

June 2025 •English

An excellent narration of oil industry since early days to 20th century and up to today. How oil changed the world and shaped our modern world today.

Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia

June 2025 •English

Bitter Rivals illuminates the essential history - and profound ripple effect - of Iran and Saudi Arabia's power struggle. It draws on scores of interviews with political, religious and military leaders, militia commanders, diplomats, and policy experts, painting American television's most comprehensive picture of a feud that has reshaped the Middle East.

The Devil Next Door

June 2025 •English

A Cleveland grandfather is brought to trial in Israel, accused of being the infamous Nazi death camp guard known as Ivan the Terrible.

Live to Tell

June 2025 •English

An intimate look into contemporary U.S. Special Forces missions on the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Once Upon a Time in Iraq

June 2025 •English

With unique personal archive from civilians and soldiers from both sides of the conflict, this series takes viewers closer to the realities of war and life under Isis than they have ever been before.

Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan

June 2025 •English

From the streets of Afghanistan comes an all-new series profiling the U.S. military's most dangerous job. The first of its kind, Bomb Patrol Afghanistan is a groundbreaking docu-series giving viewers an unprecedented first person view of one of the most dangerous jobs in the world in one of the most dangerous places on earth. G4 embeds viewers within the U.S. Navy E.O.D. (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Unit as it trains state-side prior to deployment. Outside the wire in war-torn Afghanistan, helmet and body mounted cameras and state-of-the-art robotics bring you a never before seen look at the intensity of war. Viewers will witness as the elite team searches out, disarms and destroys an array of deadly explosives with one goal: to save civilian and military lives and return home safely. This is war like you've never seen before.

Inside the Mossad

June 2025 •Hebrew

The assassinations of Nazis, terrorists and Iranian nuclear scientists have given the Mossad a fearsome reputation that has come with a moral cost. For the first time, former spy chiefs and operatives discuss personal and operational challenges, ethical dilemmas, and the personal price they were forced to pay.

That's Wine!

June 2025 •English

Exploring cultural and historical peculiarities of different nations around the world from the perspective of winemaking. Docuseries that reveals unusual wine destinations.

Conhecendo Israel - Josi Boccoli

June 2025 •Portuguese