In 2011, Louis Theroux made a documentary about Jewish settlers on the West Bank. Now, with the world's attention turned to Gaza, "he is back with another", said Carol Midgley in The Times.
His earlier film caused quite a stir, but if the settlers were wary about him returning, with his faux-naive questions, they didn't show it. On the contrary, they welcomed him into their homes (some half-built), and didn't hesitate to express their belief that they have a God-given right to live there. This despite the fact that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.
Limited viewpoints
"We were in this land planting vineyards before Mohammed was in the third grade," one interviewee tells him; and at a meeting to discuss new settlements in Gaza, an ultra-nationalist rabbi declares that Lebanon should be "cleansed of these camel riders".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But he also meets an Israeli who says that the idea of settling Gaza is "ridiculous", and sees Israeli peace activists defending Palestinians who are being stopped by soldiers from harvesting their olives. It's perhaps a pity he doesn't devote more time to these viewpoints.
Lightly sceptical style feels jarring
Most moderate Israelis regard the settlers as a "national embarrassment", said Anita Singh in The Daily Telegraph. But Theroux's shtick is to spend time with extremists – and, of course, he finds them here.
Even so, I am not sure that this follow-up adds much; and post 7 October, his lightly sceptical style felt jarring to me. That said, I'd love to see him try it on Hamas officials.
-
Will SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic make 2026 the year of mega tech listings?In Depth SpaceX float may come as soon as this year, and would be the largest IPO in history
-
Reforming the House of LordsThe Explainer Keir Starmer’s government regards reform of the House of Lords as ‘long overdue and essential’
-
Sudoku: February 2026Puzzles The daily medium sudoku puzzle from The Week
-
The Beckhams: the feud dividing BritainIn the Spotlight ‘Civil war’ between the Beckhams and their estranged son ‘resonates’ with families across the country
-
6 homes with incredible balconiesFeature Featuring a graceful terrace above the trees in Utah and a posh wraparound in New York City
-
The Flower Bearers: a ‘visceral depiction of violence, loss and emotional destruction’The Week Recommends Rachel Eliza Griffiths’ ‘open wound of a memoir’ is also a powerful ‘love story’ and a ‘portrait of sisterhood’
-
Steal: ‘glossy’ Amazon Prime thriller starring Sophie TurnerThe Week Recommends The Game of Thrones alumna dazzles as a ‘disillusioned twentysomething’ whose life takes a dramatic turn during a financial heist
-
Anna Ancher: Painting Light – a ‘moving’ exhibitionThe Week Recommends Dulwich Picture Gallery show celebrates the Danish artist’s ‘virtuosic handling of the shifting Nordic light’
-
H is for Hawk: Claire Foy is ‘terrific’ in tender grief dramaThe Week Recommends Moving adaptation of Helen Macdonald’s bestselling memoir
-
Our Town: Michael Sheen stars in ‘beautiful’ Thornton Wilder classicThe Week Recommends Opening show at the Welsh National Theatre promises a ‘bright’ future
-
Music reviews: Zach Bryan, Dry Cleaning, and Madison BeerFeature “With Heaven on Top,” “Secret Love,” and “Locket”
