Hundreds of Israeli Filmmakers Back 'No Other Land' Amid Government Backlash

Over 700 Israeli filmmakers have signed a petition supporting Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shore, the creators of the documentary "No Other Land," which recently won an award at the Venice Film Festival. The petition comes amid a public outcry and calls from government officials to revoke the filmmakers' Israeli citizenship.

The signatories condemned what they described as an unprecedented campaign of incitement against the filmmakers, warning that the rhetoric is escalating towards physical threats. "We are witnessing a campaign of incitement against the filmmakers that is unprecedented, and the distance between it and the permitting of bloodshed and physical threats to their lives is shrinking," the petition stated.

Prominent figures in Israeli cinema, including Ari Folman, Hagai Levi, and Shira Geffen, are among the signatories. They criticized individuals, academics, and journalists who have spoken out against the film without viewing it, noting that this trend, extending beyond expected critics like the Culture Minister, signifies a degradation of public discourse in Israel. The petition also expressed hope that the film will soon be distributed in Israel, allowing the public to form their own opinions and engage in a genuine discussion about the war in Gaza and its consequences.

The controversy erupted after the film, which focuses on the war in Gaza and includes testimonies from Israeli soldiers and intelligence personnel, received the Special Jury Prize at Venice. Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar denounced the film as "despicable" and accused the creators of "betraying the country," vowing to pursue the revocation of their citizenship. He has formally requested the Interior Ministry to examine the possibility of canceling Abraham and Shore's citizenship, though the authority for such action rests with different legal frameworks.

The Israeli military's Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, also weighed in, convening a special consultation and stating that the film is based on "blood libels, deliberate distortion of reality, and grave false accusations against IDF soldiers and commanders." He instructed the Military Advocate General to explore potential legal steps and to investigate whether classified materials were leaked for the film's production. The IDF spokesperson had previously rejected the film's claims, labeling a specific assertion about an approved strike with expected high civilian casualties as a "complete lie."