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Israeli filmmaker receives death threats for ‘anti-Semitic’ speech after winning award for pro-Palestine documentary

Israeli filmmaker receives death threats for ‘anti-Semitic’ speech after winning award for pro-Palestine documentary

Yuval Abraham's Berlinale speech was clipped and the segment was broadcast in Israel — leading to threats against his life from his fellow countrymen.
Updated 27 Feb, 2024

Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham received death threats after a 30-second clip from his speech accepting the Berlinale Documentary Film Award was aired in Israel and dubbed “anti-Semitic”.

Filmmakers Abraham and Rachel Szor from Israel along with Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal from Palestine, made their directorial debut with the 2024 documentary No Other Land, which details the expulsion of Palestinians from occupied Masafer Yatta. The documentary also explores the difference in Adra and Abraham’s living conditions after they befriend each other.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Abraham said: “Our film No Other Land on occupied Masafer Yatta’s brutal expulsion won best documentary in Berlinale. Israel’s Channel 11 aired this 30 second segment from my speech, insanely called it ‘anti semitic’ - and I’ve been receiving death threats since”.

He emphasised that he stood behind every word he said during his speech.

During his speech, Abraham said: “We are standing in front of you — me and Basel are the same age, I am Israeli, Basel is Palestinian. In two days we will go back to a land where we are not equal. I am living under civilian law and Basel is under military law”.

Continuing to highlight the disparity between Palestinians and Israelis, he stated, “We live 30 minutes from one another but I have voting rights and Basel is not having voting rights [sic]. I’m free to move where I want in this land, Basel is — like millions of Palestinians — locked in the West Bank”.

“This situation of apartheid between us, this inequality, it has to end. we ask how we can make a change to end the occupation, to move for a political situation and we don’t really have an answer but I think one answer is for people to really stand up. There are a lot of powerful people in this room. There are a lot of ministers and people whose voices are heard,” he said.

“We need to call for a ceasefire, we need to call for a political solution to end the occupation,” he highlighted.

Adra also took the mic and said: “For years, my community, my family has been filming our community being erased by this brutal occupation”.

“I’m here celebrating this award but it’s also very hard for me to celebrate when there are tens of thousands of my people being slaughtered and massacred by Israel in Gaza. Massafer Yatta, my community is also being erased by Israeli bulldozers,” he continued.

“I ask one thing for Germany as I am in Berlin here: to respect the UN calls and stop sending weapons to Israel,” Adra added.

Comments

umair Feb 27, 2024 03:23pm
Kudos for his Truth! But the world should act immediately to stop this Violent Carnage in GAZA
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Mohsin Ali Najfi Feb 27, 2024 03:56pm
good
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Syed Hasni Feb 27, 2024 04:52pm
Violence ends up defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers. Martin Luther King, Jr. I totally agree with anyone who is against violence.
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Khan Feb 27, 2024 06:08pm
Only Israelis can bring a change from within as rest of the world is hooked up to their capitalism.
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MBA Feb 28, 2024 04:37am
Filmmakers Abraham and Rachel Szor from Israel (born jews) with Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal from Palestine (born Muslims) raise their voices against genocide in Gaza. Some two days ago Aaron Bushnell (born christian) an IT-Expert in US-Airforce set himself in fire in front of Israel’s embassy in Washington, DC as protest againt genocide in Gaza. He shouted FREE PALESTINE until end. WHAT ARE LEADERS & KINGS OF ISLAMIC COUNTRIES ARE DOING???
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Masood Feb 28, 2024 05:05am
Truth bears no religion and always prevails .
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