Are there such things as miracles? Against All Odds: Israel Survives is an interesting look at several miracles and people who have helped the country during its turbulent times.
There are basically four different stories in this film. These stories recount the activities of battles and people who have made a difference in the survival of the country. To many they are a miracle. To viewers they are almost unbelievable. But they are true and several of the people who were involved recount their stories which are reenacted for viewers.
Following a Plan in the Bible
Could the actions in the Bible actually work in modern times? This is exactly what happened during World War I when a British officer was stumped as to how to take a plateau away from the enemy. It seemed like an impossible task. But when he was reading the Bible he discovered the story of Jonathan and Saul. This story describes how a small number of men were able to trick their enemies and take the hill and plateau.
This British officer thought it was a brilliant plan, but could it actually work? His commanding officer approved it. They had no other options. Lo and behold, it worked and the British had an astonishing victory against the Turks.
An Israeli Tank Commander is a Hero in Two Wars
When his tank is fired upon during the six-day war in 1967, Avigdor Kahalani is badly burned, but manages to alert his fellow soldiers about Egyptian tanks in their path. In 1973 during the Yom Kippur War he is again back in a tank and once again helps save the country in the Golan Heights during a battle with the Syrians.
A Spy
The story of Shula Cohen is one of bravery. A young wife living in Beirut before 1948, her sincerity and kindness endeared her to the Lebanese Prime Minister and she became almost part of his family. One night during a party she overheard some dignitaries talking about the future invasion of Israel. Shula knew she had to warn the Israelis. With the border closed, she had no idea how to do this. She remembered how to make invisible ink and wrote a seemingly innocuous letter to her cousin in Jerusalem, but with the invisible ink she wrote out the invasion plans. It was a miracle how she managed to get the letter into the hands of the Israelis.
Shula was recruited as a spy for Israel and she continued to relay information to them. When she was discovered Shula was held and tortured for several years. It was a miracle that she survived and another miracle that she was eventually freed.
Uncovering Land Mines
Perhaps the most miraculous story took place during the Yom Kippur War when a troop of Israeli soldiers found themselves in the middle of an area riddled with thousands of land mines. When they discovered this, they quickly got on the ground and meticulously uncovered and unarmed several mines.
Then a strong desert wind suddenly came up out of nowhere. It stopped just as suddenly as it started and when it was over, the soldiers discovered that all the land mines were exposed so they were able to walk around them and out of the mine field.
Historic Stories
The reenactments in this film are astonishing and the interviews with the people who were involved are even more amazing. Were these incidents miracles? Reading about these people and their stories is one thing, but seeing the reenactments and actually hearing them tell their stories is another.
The bonus feature on the DVD explains the accounts and goes behind the scenes making the film.
There is also a box set of the TV series which includes these stories and more. Whether the viewer is Jewish or not, these stories are interesting and enlightening and tell some of the history of Israel through the eyes of these people whose impact on the country is momentous, and even miraculous.
- Studio: Questar
- Running Time: 95 minutes
