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How an Oscar-Nominated Movie Stirs Up Hatred of Jews
Illustrative: A Palestinian man walks near Israeli military vehicles, during an Israeli raid in Jenin, in the West Bank, August 31, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ammar Awad
I’m currently in Oaxaca, a beautiful city in Southern Mexico known for its cultural festivals and distinctive cuisine.
Last weekend, Oaxaca hosted a film festival. To my surprise, it featured the movie No Other Land playing at a prominent venue in the center of town, in the most prime viewing slot both Friday and Saturday nights.
No Other Land is a documentary about the destruction of a Palestinian village in the West Bank by Israel’s armed forces in order to construct a training ground for tanks. The movie details the struggles of the village’s residents, along with an Israeli ally, to protect their homes. It features village residents frantically removing possessions as houses are destroyed, and children playing amongst the ruins.
I am not in a position to judge the accuracy of this particular movie, but unfortunately there is no question that Israel has at times violated the rights of West Bank residents. However, even if everything the movie depicts is correct, it’s bad for Israelis and Palestinians alike for it to be so widely shown.
Other than the one ally of the village, the movie portrays Israelis as violent land-grabbers who callously bring enormous suffering on the village. There is even a scene where a settler shoots a Palestinian at point blank range. The effect of seeing this will inevitably be to stir up yet more animosity towards Israelis and Jews. Considering the current torrent of antisemitic hatred we now face, anything that encourages more religious, national, or ethnic strife risks further violating the right of Jewish people to live securely, free of discrimination.
For example, in the center of Oaxaca stands the ornate and historic Santo Domingo Church, and Grand Catedral de la Asuncion stands in the central square of Mexico City. In both of these places, visitors are welcome to come view the astonishing architecture, elaborate artwork, and other treasures. I myself visited both sites — and was able to walk freely and safely.
However, on that same visit to Mexico City, I also tried to attend a synagogue on Shabbat morning. When I arrived at a shul in the Polanco neighborhood, I found it surrounded by an imposing fence and barbed wire. Numerous private guards absolutely refused to let me enter. Explaining that I was Jewish and passing through and even speaking Hebrew accomplished nothing. They were under strict orders: No one not known and vetted by the community enters the secure area inside the heavy fence.
And sadly, this is with good reason. We’ve recently seen synagogues attacked around the world and individuals merely appearing to be Jewish singled out for vicious violence. This stark difference between Jewish and Christian houses of worship gives us a simple lesson- Israel and Jews must be humanized and protected, not made the subject of yet more hate.
In his 19th century seminal work on lashon hara, or slanderous speech, the Chafetz Chaim makes clear that derogatory speech, even if it is factually true, falls squarely within the Torah’s prohibition of slander. In fact, he states that slander based on truth may even be worse than falsehoods (Chafetz Chaim negative prohibition 3:2). The reason is that all derogatory speech necessarily increases strife and anger.
Furthermore, this movie depicts a complete conflation between the two-sides. Any Jewish settler who commits an act of violence against a Palestinian civilian is seen as a murderer, and castigated by the Israeli judicial system. In the Palestinian territories, however, anyone who commits an act of violence against a Jew is seen as a heroic Martyr, and is paid a salary for life via the Palestinian Authority’s “pay-for-slay” program.
Of course, one may argue that publicizing violations of Palestinian rights is necessary as part of a constructive effort to right those wrongs. The Chafetz Chaim himself acknowledges that derogatory speech is permitted when needed to stop harm or prevent a loss — such as by giving a warning. But these warnings may not be given out of anger, intent to harm, or desire for revenge.
Maybe in Israel itself this movie could catalyze some change. But here in Mexico, what purpose does it serve? Portraying Israelis as violent, greedy land grabbers will obviously stir up yet more hatred, but how will it help the situation in the Middle East? Sadly, the movie’s creators seem to have shown no regard for the harm it may cause to Jewish communities, aiming to distribute it far and wide — and complaining bitterly that in spite of the film being nominated for an Oscar, major distributors have so far not picked it up.
To work towards a better future, we need to show the complexity of the conflict and humanize both sides. This is even more important in countries far from the Middle East, where audiences generally have less context and information upon which to base their opinions. In its zeal to help West Bank residents, this movie is only stirring up yet more anger that will hurt Jews and harden positions, making peace yet more elusive for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Shlomo Levin is the author of the Human Rights Haggadah, and he writes about legal developments related to human rights issues of interest to the Jewish community. You can find him at https://hrhaggadah.com/.
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UK, France, Germany Urge Gaza Ceasefire, Ask Israel to Restore Humanitarian Access
People walk among destroyed buildings in Gaza, as viewed from the Israel-Gaza border, March 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo
The governments of Germany, France and Britain called for an immediate return to a ceasefire in Gaza in a joint statement on Friday that also called on Israel to restore humanitarian access.
“We call on Israel to restore humanitarian access, including water and electricity, and ensure access to medical care and temporary medical evacuations in accordance with international humanitarian law,” the foreign ministers of the three countries, known as the E3, said in a statement.
The ministers said they were “appalled by the civilian casualties,” and also called on Palestinian Hamas terrorists to release Israeli hostages.
They said the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians could not be resolved through military means, and that a long-lasting ceasefire was the only credible pathway to peace.
The ministers added that they were “deeply shocked” by the incident that affected the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) building in Gaza, and called for an investigation into the incident.
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Israeli Military Says It Intercepted Missile Fired from Yemen; Houthis Claim Responsibility
FILE PHOTO: Houthi military helicopter flies over the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. Photo: Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen on Friday, one day after shooting down two projectiles launched by Houthi terrorists.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it fired a ballistic missile toward Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, the group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a televised statement in the early hours of Saturday.
Saree said the attack against Israel was the group’s third in 48 hours.
He issued a warning to airlines that the Israeli airport was “no longer safe for air travel and would continue to be so until the Israeli aggression against Gaza ends and the blockade is lifted.”
However, the airport’s website seemed to be operating normally and showed a list of scheduled flights.
The group’s military spokesman has also said without providing evidence that the Houthis had launched attacks against the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea.
The group recently vowed to escalate attacks, including those targeting Israel, in response to US strikes earlier this month, which amount to the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January. The US attacks have killed at least 50 people.
The Houthis’ fresh attacks come under a pledge to expand their range of targets in Israel in retaliation for renewed Israeli strikes in Gaza that have killed hundreds after weeks of relative calm.
The Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on shipping since Israel’s war with Hamas began in late 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Gaza’s Palestinians.
The attacks have disrupted global commerce and prompted the US military to launch a costly campaign to intercept missiles.
The Houthis are part of what has been dubbed the “Axis of Resistance” – an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias including Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and armed groups in Iraq, all backed by Iran.
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Columbia University Agrees to Some Trump Demands in Attempt to Restore Funding
A pro-Palestine protester holds a sign that reads: “Faculty for justice in Palestine” during a protest urging Columbia University to cut ties with Israel. November 15, 2023 in New York City. Photo: Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Columbia University agreed to some changes demanded by US President Donald Trump’s administration before it can negotiate to regain federal funding that was pulled this month over allegations the school tolerated antisemitism on campus.
The Ivy League university in New York City acquiesced to several demands in a 4,000-word message from its interim president released on Friday. It laid out plans to reform its disciplinary process, hire security officers with arrest powers and appoint a new official with a broad remit to review departments that offer courses on the Middle East.
Columbia’s dramatic concessions to the government’s extraordinary demands, which stem from protests that convulsed the Manhattan campus over the Israel-Gaza war, immediately prompted criticism. The outcome could have broad ramifications as the Trump administration has warned at least 60 other universities of similar action.
What Columbia would do with its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department was among the biggest questions facing the university as it confronted the cancellation, called unconstitutional by legal and civil groups, of hundreds of millions of dollars in government grants and contracts. The Trump administration had told the school to place the department under academic receivership for at least five years, taking control away from its faculty.
Academic receivership is a rare step taken by a university’s administrators to fix a dysfunctional department by appointing a professor or administrator outside the department to take over.
Columbia did not refer to receivership in Friday’s message. The university said it would appoint a new senior administrator to review leadership and to ensure programs are balanced at MESAAS, the Middle East Institute, the Center for Palestine Studies, the Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies and other departments with Middle East programs, along with Columbia’s satellite hubs in Tel Aviv and Amman.
‘TERRIBLE PRECEDENT’
Professor Jonathan Zimmerman, a historian of education at the University of Pennsylvania and a “proud” graduate of Columbia, called it a sad day for the university.
“Historically, there is no precedent for this,” Zimmerman said. “The government is using the money as a cudgel to micromanage a university.”
Todd Wolfson, a Rutgers University professor and president of the American Association of University Professors, called the Trump administration’s demands “arguably the greatest incursion into academic freedom, freedom of speech and institutional autonomy that we’ve seen since the McCarthy era.”
“It sets a terrible precedent,” Wolfson said. “I know every academic faculty member in this country is angry about Columbia University’s inability to stand up to a bully.”
In a campus-wide email, Katrina Armstrong, Columbia’s interim president, wrote that the her priorities were “to advance our mission, ensure uninterrupted academic activities, and make every student, faculty, and staff member safe and welcome on our campus.”
Mohammad Hemeida, an undergraduate who chairs Columbia’s Student Governing Board, said the school should have sought more student and faculty input.
“It’s incredibly disappointing Columbia gave in to government pressure instead of standing firm on the commitments to students and to academic freedom, which they emphasized to us in almost daily emails,” he said.
The White House did not respond to Columbia’s memo on Friday. The Trump administration said its demands, laid out in a letter to Armstrong eight days ago, were a precondition before Columbia could enter “formal negotiations” with the government to have federal funding.
ARREST POWERS
Columbia’s response is being watched by other universities that the administration has targeted as it advances its policy objectives in areas ranging from campus protests to transgender sports and diversity initiatives.
Private companies, law firms and other organizations have also faced threatened cuts in government funding and business unless they agree to adhere more closely to Trump’s priorities. Powerful Wall Street law firm Paul Weiss came under heavy criticism on Friday over a deal it struck with the White House to escape an executive order imperiling its business.
Columbia has come under particular scrutiny for the anti-Israel student protest movement that roiled its campus last year, when its lawns filled with tent encampments and noisy rallies against the US government’s support of the Jewish state.
To some of the Trump administration’s demands, such as having “time, place and manner” rules around protests, the school suggested they had already been met.
Columbia said it had already sought to hire peace officers with arrest powers before the Trump administration’s demand last week, saying 36 new officers had nearly completed the lengthy training and certification process under New York law.
The university said no one was allowed to wear face masks on campus if they were doing so intending to break rules or laws. The ban does not apply to face masks worn for medical or religious purposes, and the university did not say it was adopting the Trump administration’s demand that Columbia ID be worn visibly on clothing.
The sudden shutdown of millions of dollars in federal funding to Columbia this month was already disrupting medical and scientific research at the school, researchers said.
Canceled projects included the development of an AI-based tool that helps nurses detect the deterioration of a patient’s health in hospital and research on uterine fibroids, non-cancerous tumors that can cause pain and affect women’s fertility.
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