Israel’s culture minister has declared intentions to cut off funding for the nation’s premier film awards, a move sparked after a 90-minute drama centered on a Palestinian boy secured the coveted best feature prize on Tuesday evening.
Miki Zohar, the Israeli Minister of Culture and Sports, voiced his outrage on social media Wednesday, stating that Israeli taxpayers would no longer support a “shameful ceremony that spits on heroic I.D.F. soldiers,” a clear reference to the country’s armed forces. The awards event, widely recognized as the Ophir Awards, is considered Israel’s equivalent of the Academy Awards.
The acclaimed film, titled “The Sea,” was both written and directed by Shai Carmeli-Pollak. It narrates the poignant tale of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy from the West Bank, whose deepest wish is to witness the sea. His desperate journey unfolds as he secretly crosses into Israel, vanishes, and prompts his father to embark on a frantic search. The movie offers a stark depiction of Israeli soldiers, contributing to its controversial reception.
Minister Zohar emphatically declared, “This great absurdity, where Israeli citizens continue to fund the shameful Ophir Awards ceremony – an event representing less than one percent of the Israeli population – is now over.”
Winning the best feature accolade means “The Sea” automatically qualifies as Israel’s official submission for the prestigious Oscar for best international feature. The nominations for this esteemed global award are slated to be revealed in January.
Muhammad Gazawi, honored with the Ophir for Best Actor for his compelling portrayal of the Palestinian boy, delivered a powerful acceptance speech, emphasizing that all children deserve the right to “live and dream without wars.”
Khalifa Natour, who played the boy’s father, was awarded Best Supporting Actor but chose not to be present at the ceremony.
In a statement conveyed to The Hollywood Reporter, Natour expressed, “Following the army’s entry into Gaza and the genocide that frightens me greatly, I cannot find words to describe the magnitude of the horror, and everything else becomes secondary to me.”
Variety reported that Assaf Amir, the chairman of the Israeli Film and Television Academy, issued a statement hailing the film’s victory as a “resounding and decisive answer” to the criticisms leveled against Israeli cinema by government ministers.
Amir proudly stated, “I am proud that an Arabic-language film, a product of collaboration between Jewish and Palestinian Israelis, has been selected to represent Israel in the Oscar competition.”
As of Wednesday, requests for comment from representatives of Israel’s culture ministry went unanswered.
The Ophir Awards ceremony took place merely hours after a United Nations commission declared Israel’s actions in Gaza to be in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention, categorizing them as genocide.
Almost two years have passed since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people. In the ongoing conflict, Gaza health officials report that over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, a count that does not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
Growing artistic discontent over Israel’s actions in Gaza has reached a boiling point. Just last week, over 4,000 actors and directors, including renowned figures like Olivia Colman and Mark Ruffalo, publicly supported a boycott of Israeli film institutions. This movement, spearheaded by Film Workers for Palestine, advocates for an end to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Following this, Paramount emerged as the first major Hollywood studio to denounce the boycott, asserting in a statement that “silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace.” Film Workers for Palestine, however, maintains that their boycott specifically targets film institutions and corporations, not individual artists.
Adding to the international pressure, several nations have also vowed to boycott next year’s Eurovision Song Contest should Israel be among the participants.