Hidden cameras that film injustice in the world’s most dangerous places

I would like to start

with the story of Mary,

a woman from an African village.

Her first memories

are of her family fleeing violent riots

orchestrated

by the ruling political party.

Her brother was murdered

by the state-sponsored militia,

and she was raped more than once

just because she belonged
to the wrong party.

One morning, a month before the election,

Mary's village was called to
another intimidation meeting.

In this meeting, these men
standing in front of them

telling them, "We know who you are,

we know who you will vote for,

and if you're not going
to drop the right paper,

we're going to take revenge."

But for Mary, this meeting is different.

She feels different.

This time, she's waiting for this meeting,

because this time, she's carrying

a small hidden camera in her dress,

a camera that nobody else can see.

Nobody is allowed to film
in these meetings.

You risk your life if you do.

Mary knows that, but she also knows

that the only way to stop them

and to protect herself

and her community

is to expose their intimidation,

to make sure they understand

somebody is following them,

to break the impunity they feel.

Mary and her friends were filming

for months undercover

the intimidation of
the ruling political party.

(Video) [Filmed With Hidden Cameras]

Man: We are going to speak
about the upcoming elections.

Nothing can stup us from doing what we want.

If we hear you are with [the opposition]

we will not forgive you.

[Militia Intimidation Rally]

[The Party] can torture you at any time.

The youth can beat you.

[Disruption of Political Meeting]

For those who lie, saying they are back with [the Party],

your time is running out.

[Party Youth Militia]

Some have died because they rebelled.

Some have lost their homes.

If you don't work together with [the Party],

you will lead a very bad life.

Oren Yakobovich: These images
were broadcast all over the world,

but more importantly,

they have been broadcast

back to the community.

The perpetrators saw them too.

They understood somebody
is following them.

They got scared. Impunity was broken.

Mary and her friends forced

the ruling political party

not to use violence during the election,

and saved hundreds of lives.

Mary is just one of hundreds of people

that my organization had helped

to document human rights violations

using cameras.

My background should have
led me to a different direction.

I was born in Israel

to a right-wing family,

and as long as I remember myself,

I wanted to join the Israeli army

to serve my country and prove that I was

what I believed was our right

for the whole land.

I joined the Israeli army just after

the first intifada,
the first Palestinian uprising,

and I served in one of the hard-minded,

toughest, aggressive infantry units,

and I got the biggest gun in my platoon.

Quite fast, I became an officer

and got soldiers under my command,

and as time passed, I started
serving in the West Bank,

and I saw these images.

I didn't like what I saw.

It took me a while,

but eventually I refused
to serve in the West Bank

and had to spend time in jail.

It was a bit

— (Applause) —

It was not that bad, I have to say.

It was a bit like being in a hotel,

but with very shitty food.

In jail, I kept thinking that

I need people to know,

I need people to understand

what's the reality
in the West Bank looks like.

I need them to hear what I heard,

I need them to see what I saw,

but I also understood, we needed

Palestinians themselves,

the people that are suffering,

to be able to tell their own stories,

not journalists or filmmakers

that are coming outside of the situation.

I joined a human rights organization,

Israeli human rights
organization called B'Tselem.

Together, we analyzed the West Bank

and picked a hundred families that
are living in the most risky places:

close to checkpoints, near army bases,

side by side with settlers.

We gave them cameras and training.

Quite fast, we started getting

very disturbing images

about how the settlers

and the soldiers are abusing them.

I would like to share with you

two clips from this project.

Both of them were broadcast in Israel,

and it created a massive debate,

and I have to warn you,

some of you might find them

quite explicit.

The masked men you will see in the first clips

are Jewish settlers.

Minutes before the camera was turned on,

they approached a Palestinian family

that was working their land

and told them that they
have to leave the land,

because this land belongs
to the Jewish settlers.

The Palestinians refused.

Let's see what happened.

The masked men that are approaching

are Jewish settlers.

They are approaching
the Palestinian family.