The documentary was scheduled to make its United States broadcast debut[6] on PBS's prime-time Independent Lens platform in March 2021, but it did not air. A PBS blog post later stated that executives had cancelled the showing due to the film's editing of a speech by Donald Trump unveiling his peace plan for Israel–Palestine; the editing suggested that Trump had described the West Bank as part of Israel when he had not explicitly done so.[8] As a result, PBS stated that they had initiated an independent review of the film to determine whether it was suitable to be shown.[9] The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that the editing of the quote was likely reported to PBS by the Zionist Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America.[8]
Reception
While controversial, 'Til Kingdom Come received generally positive reviews.[9]Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100% from 15 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[7][10]
A review in The New York Times found Zinshtein's approach effective, writing that her "patient, observant approach catches her subjects in moments of damning irony". It concluded that Boyd Bingham's "seeming good will cannot disguise his troubling convictions".[1] Also in The New York Times, an article noted that the film brought about "a wave of guilt and soul-searching" in Israel but predicted that it would also "teach Christian and Jewish audiences in the United States a great deal about subjects they may have thought they already understood – including how American politics really work".[3]
In Screen Daily, a positive review stated that the film provides "not only a disturbing picture of how extremist political and religious agendas are connected, but also a sense of the contradictions involved", concluding that it is "a well-researched, sharply organised exposition of a strange and disturbing set of alliances".[5]
Jonathan Feldstein, who assisted Zinshtein with background information and contacts for 'Til Kingdom Come, wrote a column for Jewish News Syndicate in which he criticized the film. Feldstein described the film as "a one-sided, biased perspective of Christian support" for Israel, accusing Zinshtein of creating a "caricature" of Christian Zionists and characterizing one section of the documentary as having antisemitic undertones.[11] IFCJ director Yael Eckstein stated that she believed the film reflected the political positions of its creators.[12]
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