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Cinema Sparks Controversy

Culture Minister Blasts Ophir Awards: “Promotes Palestinian Narrative”

Israeli Culture Minister, Miki Zohar, threatens to cut funding for Ophir Awards, claiming the film's ceremony promotes Palestinian narratives over national interests. The Academy has defended its "artistic freedom".

Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar

Tensions are rising between the Israeli government and the country’s film industry, as Minister of Culture and Sports, Miki Zohar issued a scathing statement on Tuesday against the Israeli Academy of Film and Television. The minister claimed that the prestigious Ophir Awards, often referred to as the "Israeli Oscars", have turned into “a platform that sanctifies the Palestinian narrative,” according to Zohar.

“The academy, which is supposed to represent Israeli culture, continues to detach itself from reality and the public, promoting messages that strike at the heart of the national consensus,” Miki Zohar wrote. “The Ophir Awards, which pretend to be Israel’s Oscars, have become a display that praises the Palestinian story instead of celebrating the spirit of the people, the bravery of our soldiers, and the pain of the hostages and their families.”

Public Funding at Risk

Zohar went further, threatening to withhold public funding from the academy:

“The reform I’ve led in the film sector is meant to end the closed celebration of a disconnected clique. Public money will now be directed to culture that respects the State and is consumed by the public. The awards can remain, but the public will no longer fund that stage.”

While the Culture and Sports Minister did not specify which films prompted his reaction, reports to Ynet point to possible contenders. Leading with 13 nominations is The Sea by Shai Carmeli Pollak, a film about a Palestinian boy who sneaks past an Israeli checkpoint to see the ocean. Other possible targets include Nadav Lapid’s Yes and Oxygen by Natali Braun, the latter starring Dana Ivgy as a mother fighting to pull her son out of military service.

Film universe
Film universe (Photo: shutterstock/Andrija Pajtic)

Academy Responds: “We Stand for Free Expression”

The Israeli Academy of Film and Television responded:

“The academy supports freedom of expression and we invite the minister to attend the Ophir Awards ceremony in Tel Aviv on September 16 and share his views,” the academy said in a statement. “Throughout the ceremonies held during this difficult war, the issue of the hostages has been central and addressed by all speakers and participants. Contrary to the minister’s claim, recent years' nominees only reinforce the fact that the Ophir Awards remain more relevant than ever, reflecting the complexity, beauty, and pain of Israeli society.”
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