CNN presents GOD'S JEWISH WARRIORS Christiane Amanpour Reports

00:01:33 Christiane Amanpour Intro
00:02:48 Murder in Hebron
00:09:45 Two Soldiers
00:17:49 Facts on the Ground
00:27:01 The Power Couple
00:34:38 The Lobby
00:42:37 Christians and Jews
00:49:59 The Jewish Underground
00:57:10 Trail of Blood
01:04:52 Ground Zero
01:12:44 Vengeance
01:19:37 Civil War
01:27:25 Jerusalem
01:34:01 Christiane Amanpour Conclusion

CNN Presents: God’s Jewish Warriors — the first part of Christiane Amanpour’s acclaimed 2007 three-part documentary series God’s Warriors, which aired on CNN Presents.

📺 Overview
Title: CNN Presents: God’s Jewish Warriors
Series: God’s Warriors (Part 1 of 3)
Aired: August 21, 2007
Reporter/Host: Christiane Amanpour

Other Parts: God’s Muslim Warriors and God’s Christian Warriors

🧭 Purpose and Approach
This episode investigates how religious and nationalist convictions motivate certain Jewish individuals and groups — primarily in Israel and the United States — to political, social, and sometimes militant activism. Amanpour’s focus is not on mainstream Judaism, but rather on the subset of Jews who believe they are carrying out God’s will in reclaiming or defending the biblical Land of Israel.

The documentary seeks to understand:
How faith shapes modern Jewish nationalism.
The link between religion and politics in Israel’s settlements.
The historical trauma and theological motivations behind militant or ultra-religious activism.

🕎 Main Themes and Topics
1. Religious Nationalism and the Land of Israel
The film traces the religious basis for the settlement movement: the conviction that Jews have a divine right to all of the biblical Land of Israel, including the West Bank (Judea and Samaria).

Amanpour interviews settlers who see building and defending these territories as fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham and the Jewish people.

It contrasts this belief with Israel’s secular founding ideals and the political conflicts it creates domestically and internationally.

2. The Legacy of 1967
The Six-Day War and the capture of East Jerusalem and the West Bank are presented as turning points that reignited messianic fervor among religious Zionists.

The episode explores how these events convinced some Jews that the modern State of Israel was part of divine prophecy.

3. The Settler Movement
Focus on Gush Emunim, the religious movement that encouraged Jews to settle in territories won in 1967.

Settlers in Hebron, Jerusalem, and other contested areas describe themselves as “God’s warriors” — fulfilling a biblical mission despite political resistance.

Amanpour interviews rabbis, settlers, and soldiers to show both the religious devotion and political tension behind these efforts.

4. Extremism and Violence
The episode does not shy away from discussing Jewish extremism:

The 1994 massacre at the Tomb of the Patriarchs by Baruch Goldstein.

Yigal Amir’s assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, justified by Amir through a distorted interpretation of Jewish law.

It explores how a small minority of extremists use religion to justify violence, while mainstream Jewish leaders condemn such actions.

5. American Support
Amanpour travels to the United States to examine how American evangelical Christians and some Orthodox Jewish organizations provide financial and political support for Israeli settlements.

She explores how U.S. political lobbying — particularly by groups that see Israel’s existence as fulfillment of biblical prophecy — influences Middle East policy.

6. Tension Within Judaism
Interviews with secular and liberal Jews show concern about how religious nationalism may undermine Israel’s democracy and peace efforts.

The episode highlights a growing divide between secular Zionists, who prioritize democracy and diplomacy, and religious Zionists, who prioritize divine command.

🎙️ Interviewees and Voices Featured
Settler families in the West Bank
Religious Zionist leaders and rabbis
Former Israeli soldiers and peace activists
American supporters of Israeli settlements
Analysts and historians discussing the religious-political dynamics of modern Israel

⚖️ Tone and Perspective
The film maintains Amanpour’s signature balance: empathetic yet probing.

It avoids demonizing religious Jews, instead showing how genuine faith can become entangled with nationalism and conflict.

It also contrasts devout conviction with secular perspectives that view religious settlement activity as an obstacle to peace.

🧩 Core Message
God’s Jewish Warriors illustrates how deep religious conviction can inspire both devotion and division.
For some Jews, faith is the foundation of their commitment to rebuild and defend Israel as a divine promise fulfilled.
For others, the same conviction threatens Israel’s democratic fabric and its prospects for lasting peace.

Ultimately, the film asks viewers to consider:
“When does religious faith become political power — and when does it cross the line into extremism?”