The story of this sensitive movie is simultaneously symbolised by the fact that the auteurs of the film itself, Adler (Israeli Jew) and Waked (Palestinian), are brave symbols of two men from opposite sides of the spectrum wishing to offer a balanced view rather than the usual generic binary framing of Israel = bad; Palestine = good. There are, as in life, no 'goodies' or 'baddies' in this film, just people on both sides desperate for a solution and trying to make the best out of their lives that they can. This is demonstrated in the depiction of the Israeli Intelligence staff being as bigoted and untrustworthy as the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the Al-Aqsa terrorists.I applaud Adler and Waked for having created not just a memorable and poignant movie, but a film that represents all of the differing and insurmountable issues in Israel today. My one regret is that it is ONLY Israeli movies that depict Israel and the Jewish protagonists in their films as being human and neither innocent nor evil (see, for example, Waltz with Bashir; Lebanon; Room 514; The Hill.) Every Palestinian / Arabic film that I have viewed, without exception, has not been able to offer this balance. The Jews are always depicted in Arabic movies as violent oppressors and the Palestinians always shown as innocent resistance fighters without blemish. I hope that Adler and Waked will be given the opportunity to continue to collaborate and make movies that give truthful as opposed to cartoon insights into desperate situations facing Jews and Arabs in Israel. Films like this are powerful enough to transform the dialogue that we have to create understanding rather than judgement.

In a fascinating coincidence this excellent film,and Hany Abu-Assad's even better 'Omar' appeared at nearly the same time. Both tell similar stories, one from the Israeli perspective and one from the Palestinian. Both tell of a young man recruited (or forced) into being an informer for the Israelis. We see these young men torn in multiple directions, risking their lives if they are uncovered, trying to play one side against the other, finding themselves drawn ever deeper in a morass they are powerless to stop. In Bethlehem the 'hero' is only a teenager, and an immature one at that. His older brother is an accomplished terrorist/freedom fighter, leaving his little brother Sanfur without much of an identity of his own, he seems overlooked by his family and unimportant to his community. Ironically in many ways Sanfur's closest relationship is to his middle-aged Israeli 'handler', who also clearly has fatherly feelings towards the youth, further complicating the relationship. The acting is generally excellent, and there's a lot of thriller like tension to go along with the human drama. I actually saw this and 'Omar' within days of each other, and I would recommend the same approach to others. Seeing the two sides of the same coin gives a feeling of greater insight into the conundrum that is the middle-east. Also, both directors are careful not to paint black and white portraits of either side, both treat all involved as human, so the differences in perspective are both fascinating and subtle.

It is not a political movie.No positive, no negative of Arab/Jews conflict.No left, no right its the Reality.they Just made ​​an excellent film, good acting. Beautiful plot.I loved the acting of Tsahi Halevi-"razi"- the agent, he was very good.The action Scene are very good.Excellent dialog. Who loved The Departed will love this movie.the Viewer Continue to think about the movie after leaving the Cinema.I enjoyed very much from the film.Highly recommended.

I was lucky enough to attend the TIFF premiere of "Bethlehem" and I was blown away. In the past 10 or so years, the Israeli film world has boomed and seen rise to several internationally acclaimed films. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if "Bethlehem" joined the ranks of "Waltz with Bashir", "Ajami", and "Footnote" on that list of globally celebrated modern Israeli movies. Each aspect of this film was crafted with such poise and precision, it carried itself with the majesty that only a truly talented filmmaker could give it. Yuval Adler's incomparable debut at the helm of a motion picture is so incredible that I have to personally thank him for the pleasure of watching his film. It was a privilege to have lived within it's walls. Bethlehem is the story of the relationship between an Israeli secret service officer and his informant, the fiery younger brother of the head of a Palestinian militia. As their relationship wanes and waxes to the tunes of perfectly paced military action sequences and beautifully scripted emotive developments, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary movie. It's as much of a political commentary as it is a story. Yuval Adler and Ali Waked's incredible script leads the audience through the winding story of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. They lead us through the maze of violence, through the maze of political and social uproar and arrive at an ultimate conclusion. No one will win if things continue this way. Both sides must step back and look at their actions and see what they are causing. Both sides must put their arms down for a moment. If things continue as violently as they are, no one will win. It's a film that doesn't take sides. The Israelis are seen at times through the eyes of a Palestinian, a bully-like entity smashing walls with trucks, forcing their grip on the Palestinians. The Palestinians are seen at times through the eyes of an Israeli, as violent and explosive terrifying militants who aren't afraid to kill to claim the entire land for themselves. At the end of the film, though, everyone is naked. Everyone looks so human it's saddening. It's enough of an emotional punch to leave a lump in the audiences throat. It's enough to think, what is this fighting for? "Bethlehem" doesn't denounce supporting a side, but it does stress to learn more about each side before the support is given to them. It should be targeted towards high-school age and older students. People that are just beginning to pull back the veil on the social and political landscape. "Bethlehem"'s message and delivery is perfect. Incredible performances by all facets of the film. It will be a terrible crime if this film is not up for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. One of the best foreign films I have ever seen. It was a pleasure to experience and I will cherish this movie for a long time to come.