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Miami Beach Mayor Threatens to Terminate Lease, Cut Funding to Theater Screening Anti-Israel Film
Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham win the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film for “No Other Land” during the Oscars show at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, March 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner has proposed that the city terminate its lease of an independent, non-profit movie theater and stop funding to the venue because it is showing sold-out screenings of the anti-Israel Oscar-winning film “No Other Land.”
Earlier this month, O Cinema became the first theater in Miami to screen “No Other Land,” a film produced by Israelis and Palestinians that criticizes Israel and the country’s military actions while focusing on the demolition of a small community in the West Bank.
“No Other Land” won best documentary feature film at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2. It has been picked up for distribution in 24 countries but has no distributor in the US, so its filmmakers have been making individuals deals with cinemas, such as O Cinema. It premiered at the Miami Beach theater on March 14 and its screenings this week are sold out. The city of Miami Beach is listed as a supporter of O Cinema on its website.
Meiner is proposing that Miami Beach terminate its lease agreement with O Cinema – which is located on city property on the first floor of Old City Hall – suspend and terminate grant money to the theater, and discontinue any further funding. The Miami Beach City Commission will vote on the resolution on Wednesday.
The mayor’s proposal comes after he sent a letter to O Cinema on March 5, asking its CEO Vivian Marthell to cancel the theater’s screenings of “No Other Land.” He pointed out that Miami Beach has “has one of the largest concentrations of Jewish residents in the United States” and described the documentary as “hateful propaganda.” Meiner also wrote in the letter, obtained by the Miami Herald, that “No Other Land” is “antisemitic” and “a one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people that is not consistent with the values of our city and residents.” He asked Marthell “on behalf of the residents of Miami Beach” to reconsider the venue’s decision to screen the film.
“Unfortunately, Jews for thousands of years have heard this antisemitic rhetoric; I am just surprised that O Cinema, utilizing Miami Beach taxpayer funding, would willingly disseminate such hateful propaganda,” Meiner said. “Here in Miami Beach, our city has adopted a strong policy of support for the State of Israel in its struggle to defend itself and its residents against attacks by the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah. Airing performances of the one-sided, inaccurate film ‘No Other Land’ at a movie theater facility owned by the city and operated by O Cinema is disappointing.”
The theater ignored Meiner’s letter and proceeded with its screenings of the controversial film.
During their acceptance speech at the Oscars earlier this month, the Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers of “No Other Land” accused Israel of “ethnic supremacy,” occupation, “injustice,” and “the ethnic cleaning of Palestinian people.” They also criticized the US for supporting Israel, claiming it blocks peace between Israel and Palestinians.
Israel’s Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar said the film “amplifies narratives that distort Israel’s image.” He added that “turning the defamation of Israel into a tool for international promotion is not art — it is sabotage against the State of Israel, especially in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre and the ongoing war.”
The filmmakers of “No Other Land” also made anti-Israel comments on stage when accepting the award for best documentary at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2024. They additionally called on Germany to cease arms exports to Israel. Their comments were criticized by Claudia Roth, Germany’s federal government commissioner for culture and the media, who described the remarks as “shockingly one-sided and characterized by deep hatred of Israel.”
O Cinema’s co-founder and board of directors chair Kareem Tabsch told NPR about Meiner’s threats, saying it “sounds like censorship to me.”
“We’ve always shown films that have sparked real strong sentiments and real strong opinions,” Tabsch added. “Throughout the years, we’ve certainly had vocal audience members or community members who’ve questioned some programming choices … But what we have never encountered is elected officials trying to dictate what we should and should not be showing. That’s certainly a first.”
Marthell shared with the Miami Herald a short speech explaining the theater’s position on the film that will be read at every screening at the venue.
“We understand the power of cinema and its ability to tell stories that matter. Yet, we also understand that some stories, especially those rooted in real-world conflicts, can evoke strong feelings and passionate reactions,” Marthell said. “But let me be clear: our decision to screen “No Other Land” is not a declaration of political alignment. It is, however, a bold reaffirmation of our fundamental belief that every voice deserves to be heard, even, and perhaps especially, when it challenges us.”
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Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself. Really?
JNS.org – If I asked you to name the most famous line in the Bible, what would you answer? While Shema Yisrael (“Hear O’Israel”) might get many votes, I imagine that the winning line would be “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18). Some religions refer to it as the Golden Rule, but all would agree that it is fundamental to any moral lifestyle. And it appears this week in our Torah reading, Kedoshim.
This is quite a tall order. Can we be expected to love other people as much as we love ourselves? Surely, this is an idealistic expectation. And yet, the Creator knows us better than we know ourselves. How can His Torah be so unrealistic?
The biblical commentaries offer a variety of explanations. Some, like Rambam (Maimonides), say that the focus should be on our behavior, rather than our feelings. We are expected to try our best or to treat others “as if” we genuinely love them.
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, in his classic text called the Tanya, argues that the actual feelings of love are, in fact, achievable provided that we focus on a person’s spirituality rather than how they present themselves physically. If we can put the soul over the body, we can do it.
Allow me to share the interpretation of the Ramban (Nachmanides), a 13th-century Torah scholar from Spain. His interpretation of the verses preceding love thy neighbor is classic and powerful, yet simple and straightforward.
“Do not hate your brother in your heart. You shall rebuke him, but do not bear a sin because of him” by embarrassing him in public. “Do not take revenge, and do not bear a grudge against your people. You shall love your fellow as yourself, I am God” (Leviticus 19:17-18).
What is the connection between these verses? Why is revenge and grudge-bearing in the same paragraph as love your fellow as yourself?
A careful reading shows that within these two verses are no less than six biblical commandments. But what is their sequence all about, and what is the connection between them?
The Ramban explains it beautifully, showing how the sequence of verses is deliberate and highlighting the Torah’s profound yet practical advice on how to maintain healthy relationships.
Someone wronged you? Don’t hate him in your heart. Speak to him. Don’t let it fester until it bursts, and makes you bitter and sick.
Instead, talk it out. Confront the person. Of course, do it respectfully. Don’t embarrass anyone in public, so that you don’t bear a sin because of them. But don’t let your hurt eat you up. Communicate!
If you approach the person who wronged you—not with hate in your heart but with respectful reproof—one of two things will happen. Either he or she will apologize and explain their perspective on the matter. Or that it was a misunderstanding and will get sorted out between you. Either way, you will feel happier and healthier.
Then you will not feel the need to take revenge or even to bear a grudge.
Here, says the Ramban, is the connection between these two verses. And if you follow this advice, only then will you be able to observe the commandment to Love Thy Neighbor. If you never tell him why you are upset, another may be completely unaware of his or her wrongdoing, and it will remain as a wound inside you and may never go away.
To sum up: Honest communication is the key to loving people.
Now, tell me the truth. Did you know that not taking revenge is a biblical commandment? In some cultures in Africa, revenge is a mitzvah! I’ve heard radio talk-show hosts invite listeners to share how they took “sweet revenge” on someone, as if it’s some kind of accomplishment.
Furthermore, did you know that bearing a grudge is forbidden by biblical law?
Here in South Africa, people refer to a grudge by its Yiddish name, a faribel. In other countries, people call it a broiges. Whatever the terminology, the Torah states explicitly: “Thou shalt not bear a grudge!” Do not keep a faribel, a broiges or resentment of any kind toward someone you believe wronged you. Talk to that person. Share your feelings honestly. If you do it respectfully and do not demean the other’s dignity, then it can be resolved. Only then will you be able to love your fellow as yourself.
May all our grudges and feelings of resentment toward others be dealt with honestly and respectfully. May all our grudges be resolved as soon as possible. Then we will all be in a much better position to love our neighbors as ourselves.
The post Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself. Really? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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‘Nonsense’: Huckabee Shoots Down Report Trump to Endorse Palestinian Statehood
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee looks on during the day he visits the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 18, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Saturday dismissed as nonsensical the report that President Donald Trump would endorse Palestinian statehood during his tour to the Persian Gulf this week.
“This report is nonsense,” Huckabee harrumphed on his X account, blasting the Jerusalem Post as needing better sourced reporting. “Israel doesn’t have a better friend than the president of the United States.”
Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The leader’s first trip overseas since he took office comes as Trump seeks the Gulf countries’ support in regional conflicts, including the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and curbing Iran’s advancing nuclear program.
However, reports citing administration insiders claimed that Trump has also set his sights on the ambitious goal of expanding the Abraham Accords. These agreements, initially signed in 2020, normalized relations between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. The accords are widely held to be among the most important achievements of the first Trump administration.
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US to Put Military Option Back on Table If No Immediate Progress in Iran Talks
US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy-designate Steve Witkoff gives a speech at the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of Trump’s second presidential term, in Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
i24 News – Unless significant progress is registered in Sunday’s round of nuclear talks with Iran, the US will consider putting the military option back on the table, sources close to US envoy Steve Witkoff told i24NEWS.
American and Iranian representatives voiced optimism after the previous talks that took place in Oman and Rome, saying there was a friendly atmosphere despite the two countries’ decades of enmity.
However the two sides are not believed to have thrashed out the all-important technical details, and basic questions remain.
The source has also underscored the significance of the administration’s choice of Michael Anton, the State Department’s policy planning director, as the lead representative in the nuclear talks’ technical phases.
Anton is “an Iran expert and someone who knows how to cut a deal with Iran,” the source said, saying that the choice reflected Trump’s desire to secure the deal.
The post US to Put Military Option Back on Table If No Immediate Progress in Iran Talks first appeared on Algemeiner.com.