Big Time Rush star James Maslow released a documentary Saturday to YouTube titled "Bearing Witness: James Maslow Explores the Aftermath of October 7th." In it, he visits Israel and learns about the events that took place on October 7.
Maslow visited Israel in November, 47 days after the October 7 massacres took place. The documentary begins as Maslow and his crew run into shelters in the south of the country upon hearing sirens.
In the video caption Maslow said, “I visited Israel. I needed to hear the stories of survivors firsthand, to see the destruction for myself, and to connect with the families of those affected. This film documents my experience. I invite you to watch it in full, to listen, to learn, and to feel.”
The first site he visits is Kibbutz Be’eri. A graphic appears on the screen that shows from this kibbutz alone, 126 were murdered, 33 were kidnapped, and eight have been murdered in captivity. Images of destruction flash across the screen. At Kibbutz Be’eri, Maslow speaks with survivor Netzer Mocha, and they walk through houses together riddled with bullet holes.
“The fact that people are trying to make this some sort of political conversation is wild,” Maslow said. “This isn’t political. This is inhumane. Period.”
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In addition to viewing scenes in Israel, many of the clips in the documentary are of Gazans, in footage taken by Hamas. There are also audio clips of Gazans published by the Israeli military.
“Dad ten with my own hands! I killed ten with my own hands! Look how many I killed with my own hands! Your son killed Jews!” an audio message in Arabic played. A video showing Gazans celebrating in the streets played as well.
'Gaza was supposed to be the Hong Kong of the Middle East'
Colonel Res. Grisha Yakubovich spoke to Maslow at the border of Gaza. Yakubovich told Maslow, “Gaza was supposed to be Singapore. Gaza was supposed to be the Hong Kong of the Middle East. What do we see from here?... There is a water crisis, energy crisis, sewage crisis, energy crisis, and an economic crisis.”
Yakubovich told Maslow that since 2005, there have been no soldiers or settlements in Gaza. He then talked about the operations against Gaza that the IDF has performed, including Operation Protective Edge and Operation Guardian of the Walls. Yakubovich told Maslow that in all the past operations, they negotiated with the terrorists, came to a ceasefire, and then the violence would happen again. He is concerned that the same pattern will happen again.
Maslow then talks about the terrorism he experienced in the United States on September 11. “First they take Saturday, and then they’ll take Sunday,” he said a popular phrase that means that first, they will go after the Jews and then the Christians. He said that all these organizations have the same ideology.
The film then cuts to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where 87 were murdered, 19 were taken hostage, and two have been murdered in captivity. At Kibbutz Kfar Aza, he met with Captain Res. Maya B from the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
Maya translated Hebrew on the wall of the home to English. The words read, “Human remains on the sofa.” Maslow also interviewed a Zaka volunteer, Jamal Waraqi, who is Muslim. He discussed how Islam is supposed to be a religion of peace.
Kibbutz Re’im was the last second massacre site he visited, which was the site of the Nova Music Festival. The graphic on the screen showed that 382 were murdered, 44 were kidnapped, and four had been murdered in captivity. Yonatan Cohen, a survivor of the music festival. “I don’t know how to explain what I saw with my own eyes. And the noise, the screaming,” Cohen said. “I don’t know how to continue..I don’t know.”
Maslow then visited the hostage square, where posters of the kidnapped hung. He spoke to the sister of hostage Evyatar, Yeela David. She is waiting for him to come back home. She told Maslow the story of how she discovered her brother was taken hostage in Gaza.
She said that someone sent her a screenshot of footage of Evyatar being taken hostage. Footage of a Hamas terrorist with his arm around Evyatar was displayed in the film, and then it cut to Evyatar being held in a truck and beaten by the terrorists. She told Maslow that she and her brother are big fans of Big Time Rush, and Maslow said he would perform for them when her brother returns.
Towards the end of the film Maslow was talking to an anonymous platoon commander. “When I left my family on the 7 of October and took these clothes, I didn't come to attack. I fight to protect and for peace.”