The lawyer Lea Tsemel is a contentious figure in Israel. She is known for representing Palestinian defendants, especially in cases in which Israeli sentiment appears starkly stacked against her, such as those that involve violent attacks. Depending on your perspective, Tsemel is either a principled believer in the concept of presumed innocence or an apologist for bloodshed.

To judge from “Advocate,” an engrossing, largely pro-Tsemel profile from Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaïche, the truth may be a little of each. Tsemel’s choice of clients undoubtedly has ideological underpinnings. She explains how she thinks about her work: “I’m an Israeli occupier, no matter what I do,” Tsemel says. And as an occupier who has not succeeded in changing the government’s policies, she adds, “On what moral grounds should I judge the people who resist my occupation?” Her daughter, Talila Warschawski, is asked if her mother has red lines. “I don’t think so,” she replies.

At the same time, Tsemel has a lawyerly interest in the gray areas of guilt. The highest-profile recent case in “Advocate” involves Tsemel’s defense of Ahmad Manasra, who at age 13 was involved in an October 2015 stabbing attack in East Jerusalem. Tsemel maintained that only Manasra’s cousin, Hassan, who was fatally shot by police during the incident, carried out the stabbings, and that Ahmad did not use the knife he had.