Latest news with #MikiZohar
Roya News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Gaza occupation outweighs captive rescue: "Israeli" minister
Israeli Occupation Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar revealed in a recent interview with Kan, "Israel's" national broadcaster, that the newly approved phase of the military campaign in Gaza has a clear objective: 'the complete occupation of the Strip.' Zohar, a senior figure in the ruling Likud party, acknowledged the risks this escalation poses to the remaining captives held in Gaza. 'Such a move endangers those who remain in captivity,' he admitted, 'but there is no choice left.' According to Zohar, the aggression was prolonged in part due to "Israel's" efforts to retrieve as many captives as possible. He suggested that renewed military pressure could be the key to forcing Hamas to negotiate seriously. 'Hamas may soon realize that it has no choice but to return [the hostages] and exile itself from Gaza,' Zohar stated.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Local theaters showing Oscar-winning Israeli-Palestinian documentary ‘No Other Land'
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Several local theaters are showing the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' this weekend. The film was created by a Palestinian-Israeli collective. According to the documentary's website, it tells the story of people living in the region of Masafer Yatta in the West Bank who are being displaced by the Israeli government. The International Documentary Association reported that despite the documentary's critical acclaim and international distribution, 'No Other Land' still does not have a distributor in the United States. The movie also hasn't been available on any streaming platforms in the U.S. ALSO READ: Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 404 Palestinians, shatters ceasefire According to an Israeli news outlet, the country's culture minister, Miki Zohar, wrote a letter asking cinematheques and cultural institutions not to screen the award-winning documentary, calling it 'an anti-Israel propaganda tool' that 'harms the good name of the State of Israel.' The Rhode Island Coalition for Israel also released a statement, calling the documentary 'a dangerous collections of distortions.' In a statement on their website, the directors of the documentary—who are both Israeli and Palestinian—said they hope their film will bring about change in the Middle East. 'Life in our land is becoming scarier, more violent, more oppressive, every day,' the statement reads in part. 'We can only shout out something radically different to the world—this film—which at its core, is not only proof of Israeli settler-colonial war crimes taking place in the present, but also a proposal for the future, a search for a path towards justice and equality and an end to Apartheid.' While you can't watch the documentary at home, you can catch the film this weekend in several independent theaters in Rhode Island. Avon Cinema in Providence will be showing 'No Other Land' from March 21-23. The movie will also be coming to United Theater in Westerly and All South County Cinemas in South Kingstown. You can learn more about the film or buy tickets at certain locations here. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
River Oaks Theatre will screen "No Other Land"
The Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," which follows Israeli forces' destruction of a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, will screen at the River Oaks Theatre starting Friday. Why it matters: Despite being critically acclaimed and on the film festival circuit, the film has no U.S. distributors. The River Oaks Theatre, renovated and reopened last fall, is among the venues screening it independently. Context: Created by a group of Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers, "No Other Land" chronicles the bulldozed homes and demolition of Masafer Yatta. The documentary largely follows one of the filmmakers, Basel Adra, as he resists forced displacement. Friction point: The film has faced criticism from Israeli officials, with Culture Minister Miki Zohar labeling it anti-Israeli. Meanwhile, some movie critics argue the lack of distributors is ironic and that the film is being avoided for exposing harrowing and uncomfortable truths to Americans. The bottom line: Houstonians now have the opportunity to view and form their own thoughts on "No Other Land." Tickets are $15. Daily screenings from March 14–26.
Middle East Eye
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
No Other Land shows Israeli occupation cannot be whitewashed
The uproar surrounding the documentary No Other Land is unsurprising. Films that document the occupation and expose its unbearable human consequences always provoke harsh reactions from the Israeli establishment. The film focuses on the daily realities of Palestinians in the Masafer Yatta area - one that includes home demolitions, family expulsions, dispossession and land theft. The film reflects what is happening on the ground, but for many in Israel, the mere presentation of reality is seen as a crime. Attacks on the film have been led by Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar, who accused the film of "defamation" and "distorting Israel's image". This is a familiar argument: any documentation of the occupation is framed as defamation, and any depiction of reality deemed incitement. But there is no other way to portray the occupation; one cannot describe the expulsion of families from Masafer Yatta without exposing the injustices at its core. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters There is no way to document soldiers preventing residents from accessing water or electricity without understanding that this is a policy of control, discrimination and oppression. Criticism of the film has extended beyond the political establishment, with journalists and cultural figures in Israel attacking as a 'traitor' one of the film's directors, Yuval Abraham, who is Israeli. Silencing the truth This is a recurring pattern: any Israeli who dares to expose the crimes of the occupation is immediately shunned and denounced. This silencing is not coincidental. The occupation persists not only because of soldiers in the field, but also due to the public denial and demonisation of anyone who dares to reveal the truth. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Criticism has not come only from right-wing Israelis. Some Palestinians have argued that the collaboration between Yuval Abraham and Basel Adra - one of the film's Palestinian co-directors - constitutes 'normalisation' with the occupation. This is a mistaken claim. As Palestinians struggle against the occupation, they need the support of courageous Israelis who are willing to take personal risks to expose these injustices. Films like No Other Land are not tools of normalisation; they are tools of resistance. Ultimately, the problem is not No Other Land. The problem is the occupation itself. Its ugliness cannot be concealed The film's Oscar win for best documentary makes a significant political and cultural statement. International recognition of the film indicates that the world sees what Israel is trying to hide. This is precisely why the Israeli establishment is so outraged. It is not just the film itself that angers them; it is the fact that the story of Masafer Yatta is reaching global audiences. They would prefer that the world consume productions like Fauda, a series that glorifies the Shin Bet and portrays the occupation from the perspective of the oppressor. Ultimately, the problem is not No Other Land. The problem is the occupation itself. Its ugliness cannot be concealed, its consequences cannot be whitewashed, and its human costs cannot be ignored. We should thank Adra, Abraham and their co-directors for having the courage to tell the truth. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Al-Ahram Weekly
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israel minister slams Oscar win for West Bank eviction film - Screens - Arts & Culture
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar on Monday decried a "sad moment for cinema" after an Oscar win for "No Other Land", a documentary about Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. The film, which Palestinian activists directed, won the Best Documentary award at Sunday's Academy Awards. "Instead of presenting the complexity of our reality, the filmmakers chose to echo narratives that distort Israel's image in the world," Zohar said in a post on X. Shot in Masafer Yatta near the West Bank city of Hebron, the documentary follows a young Palestinian struggling with forced displacement as the Israeli army tears down his community's homes to make space for a firing zone. "Freedom of speech is an important value, but turning the defamation of Israel into a tool for international promotion is not creation -- it's sabotage against the State of Israel," Zohar added. The Israeli army declared Masafer Yatta a restricted military zone in the 1980s. After a long legal battle with Palestinian communities, an Israeli Supreme Court ruling in 2022 paved the way for the eviction of the area's more than 1,000 residents. Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The West Bank, excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, is home to around three million Palestinians as well as nearly half a million Israelis who live in settlements that are illegal under international law. "No Other Land" premiered in February 2024 at the Berlin International Film Festival, winning the Panorama Audience Award for best documentary. Zohar said the film's Oscar win highlighted why his government was passing reforms to guarantee that public funds only go to "works that speak to the Israeli audience, and not to an industry that makes a career out of slandering the country at foreign festivals." The film industry has decried the reforms as an attempt to muffle liberal perspectives and views it as an attack on freedom of expression. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
