While some have accused the Oscar-winning film of normalization, leaders and activists in Masafer Yatta are unwavering in their support for joint resistance.
The backlash was inevitable. No sooner had directors Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal, and Rachel Szor accepted the Academy Award for best documentary for their film “No Other Land” — which tells the story of Israel’s ongoing ethnic cleansing of the Masafer Yatta region in the occupied West Bank, including Basel and Hamdan’s own communities — than the attacks began.
Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar accused the film of “defamation” and “distort[ing] Israel’s image,” urging movie theaters in Israel to refrain from screening it. Many in the Israeli media rushed to denounce it as “propaganda” or “worse than a lie,” while the directors received a barrage of venomous hatred on social media.
We have grown accustomed to this level of Zionist blindness from Israeli politicians, journalists, and citizens, especially after Yuval and Basel faced similar vilification in the wake of their acceptance speeches at the 2024 Berlinale. What many of us didn’t anticipate, however, was how severe the backlash would be from some pro-Palestinian activists, organizations, and influencers.
Samah Salaime is a feminist Palestinian activist and writer.
Accordingly, many Palestinian academics, activists, writers, and artists have criticized PACBI’s statement as detached and unjust. They have warned of the harm such a declaration inflicts on the camp of nonviolent resistance and much of the opposition to the occupation, from Palestinians and left-wing Israelis alike.
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