The Green Prince

The Green Prince is a 2014 German documentary directed by Nadav Schirman.  It is based on the autobiography of Mosab Hassan Yousef, Son of Hamas.  The movie received four awards including Best Documentary , by  the Israeli Film Academy.  It's a story that is hard to believe, but one that I just thought you should know about.

Mosab Hassan Yousef is the son of Hamas leader Hassan Yousef.   Mosab was a defiant teenager.  His fervor against Israel was unquestionable, ultimately landing him in prison.  Mosab was shaken by the brutality of Hamas within the prison walls.  He was disgusted with their methods, especially suicide bombings, and had an unexpected change of heart and began to see Hamas as more of the problem than the solution.  He was recruited by the Shin Bet (Israel's internal security agency) and given the code name "Green Prince."  He spied on the Hamas elite for over a decade, including his own father.  He was constantly exposed to death while grappling with the perception that he had betrayed his own family and people.  Along the way, a cautious alliance between Mosab and his Shin Bet handler Gonen Ben Yitzhak grew into an enduring loyalty that no one could have predicted.

Mosab was eventually given political asylum in the U.S, with the help of Gonen Ben Yitzhak, the Shin Bet handler who had recruited him and who he worked with for ten years.  Gonen came to the U.S. to testify as to the fact that Mosab was not a terrorist, and should be able to stay in the U.S.  He came to San Diego originally, but because of death threats and danger from Hamas, Mosab now moves frequently and is a loner.  However, he does get frequent calls from his former Israeli handler, Gonen Ben Yitzhak, now an attorney in Israel, his loyal supporter.  His own family has disowned him, and he is truly alone.
The film opened my eyes.  This was an incident that happened right here in San Diego in 2005, yet this was the first I ever heard of it.  The film is riveting, and I recommend it to anyone interested in the Israeli Palestinian conflict.  Mosab Hassan Yousef has converted to Christianity.  He truly made a profound spiritual transformation.   Just thought you should know.