Oscar win of “No Other Land”: Israeli Culture Minister slams Palestinian-Israeli documentary about Israeli settlement in occupied West Bank

LOS ANGELES: Israel against 'No Other Land', which won the award in the documentary feature film category at the 97th Oscars. Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar has called the film's award a 'sad moment for cinema'. The plot of the film is about Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The film is directed by Israeli-Palestinian activists. Zohar alleged that instead of presenting the complexity of Israeli reality, the filmmakers chose to amplify narratives that distort Israel’s image vis-à-vis international audiences.

"The Oscar win for the film "No Other Land" is a sad moment for the world of cinema. Instead of presenting the complexity of Israeli reality, the filmmakers chose to amplify narratives that distort Israel’s image vis-à-vis international audiences. Freedom of expression is an important value, but turning the defamation of Israel into a tool for international promotion is not art—it is sabotage against the State of Israel, especially in the wake of the October 7th massacre and the ongoing war. This is precisely why we passed a reform in state-funded cinema—to ensure that taxpayer money is directed toward works of art that speak to the Israeli audience, rather than an industry that builds its career on slandering Israel on the global stage." - Miki Zohar posted on X.

The documentary, which reflects the resistance of the Palestinians, was filmed in Masafer Yatta, near the city of Hebron in the West Bank. The story revolves around a young Palestinian who is displaced from his homeland by the Israeli army. The film also won praise at international film festivals such as Berlin and Busan.