Protesters Confront Anti-Israel Film Screening at Hamptons Festival

Approximately one hundred Jewish and Israeli-American protesters gathered outside the Sag Harbor Cinema on Saturday during a screening of the documentary "Nezah" at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The demonstration, organized by the Israeli-American Council (IAC), East End Jews for Israel, the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, and #EndJewHatred, aimed to counter the film's narrative.

Protesters held signs and engaged with festival attendees, asserting that the film misrepresented facts. Ido Cohen, a leader of the demonstration and an IAC community member, stated, "The goal of the demonstration was for a proud Jew, an Israeli-American, to stand in front of wherever this film is screened and tell our people's truth, that the IDF is the most moral army in the world, and no film, no stage, can obscure that." He urged the filmmakers to "just stop lying," emphasizing that "the truth is the most important thing, and the truth will ultimately win."

In parallel, the IAC launched a petition urging cultural institutions, film festivals, and cinemas across the United States to accompany screenings of "Nezah" with panels, survivor testimonies, and background materials. The film is scheduled for additional screenings in East Hampton, at the Mill Valley Film Festival in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in Los Angeles. Notably, many of these screenings are occurring near the three-year anniversary of the October 7th attacks.