Connect with us

RSS

Oscar-Winning British Director Apologizes for Sharing Antisemitic, ‘Ill-Judged’ Social Media Posts

Director Asif Kapadia poses during a photocall for the movie “2073”, out of competition, at the 81st Venice Film Festival, Venice, Italy, September 3, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Asif Kapadia, the Oscar-winning director of the 2015 documentary film “Amy” about the late Jewish and British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, said he was sorry for “ill-judged” anti-Israel and antisemitic posts he shared on X/Twitter.

“I’m mortified by the hurt and offense that some of my retweets have caused,” Kapadia said in a statement to BBC News. “I now understand that they will be seen by many as antisemitic, or in the case of one even justifying violence. That was not my intention.”

“Like many I feel passionate about the fate of the Palestinian & Lebanese people and the suffering they have endured over the years, but I am equally passionate about all anti-racism and condemn all forms of antisemitism,” he added. “I unequivocally apologize for these ill-judged reposts, which were posted in haste with a lack of due consideration.”

Kapadia was born in London while his family immigrated to the United Kingdom from Gujarat, India, in the 1960s. He apologized for his antisemitic social media posts after he was removed as a patron of The Grierson Trust, a charity that celebrates  documentary and factual filmmaking

The Grierson Trust originally announced on Oct. 9 that Kapadia — who recently co-directed Amazon Prime Video’s “Federer: Twelve Final Days” about tennis star Roger Federer — had joined the charity as new patrons alongside Dorothy Byrne and Louis Theroux. A mere two days later, the Trust withdrew its offer to Kapadia after a series of his posts on X resurfaced.

:Since the Grierson Trust announced that Asif Kapadia had been appointed as one of our patrons, some social media posts shared by him have been drawn to our attention which are antisemitic,” the organization said. “As a result, at an 8am [sic] board meeting this morning, we took the decision to rescind his role as patron of the Trust.”

“When we made the decision to appoint Mr Kapadia, the board was not aware of these posts, some of which appear to be no longer available, and we are sorry that our due diligence was not thorough enough,” the charity noted. “The Grierson Trust is deeply committed to promoting both freedom of speech and diversity and inclusion in the documentary industry. Whilst we accept and support that everyone has a legitimate right to express their views on controversial issues, this cannot justify racist statements or behavior. As we have stressed in the past and will continue to uphold, the Trust has a zero tolerance approach to racism of all kinds.”

On his X account, which he has since deleted, Kapadia reposted a message that said, “Those who colonized the whole world are trying to convince us that resistance to colonialism is terrorism.” He also reposted an image from the Holocaust film “Schindler’s List” that shows Nazi Amon Goeth, played by actor Ralph Fiennes, aiming his rifle at prisoners in a concentration camp. The photo’s caption reads: “Do you remember this scene in ‘Schindler’s List’? The same thing is happening in real time. They are Nazis.”

Leo Pearlman, a managing partner at the production company Fulwell 73, shared on his LinkedIn profile more screenshots of antisemitic content reposted by Kapadia on X, including a political cartoon of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu eating what looks like human flesh on a blood-stained table while the bodies of dead children lay around him. Netanyahu also sits amid rubble and destruction, as an explosion goes off in the background. The caption at the top of the image says “Kosher.”

In another repost from Kapadia uploaded in late November 2023 — almost two months after the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel — the director seemed to defend the terrorists for massacring 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages, 101 of whom remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza a year later. The post includes an image of a person in a green headband that has Arabic writing on it, similar to the bands worn by Hamas terrorists. “The oppression, is like slavery. So what do you do? You revolt,” reads the caption of the post. “See these eyes. They are eyes of care and compassion for the dispossessed. See these eyes and remember. In the same position you would do the same.”

Kapadia’s film “Amy,” about the Jewish songstress Winehouse who died in 2011, won an Oscar and BAFTA, and is the United Kingdom’s highest-grossing British documentary ever. His latest film “2073” is expected to screen this week at the BFI London Film Festival. His most acclaimed film credits include “Senna,” a documentary about legendary Formula One Brazilian racecar driver Ayrton Senna, and “Diego Maradona,” about the acclaimed soccer player.

The post Oscar-Winning British Director Apologizes for Sharing Antisemitic, ‘Ill-Judged’ Social Media Posts first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Continue Reading

RSS

Report: IDF Probes Whether Houthis Used Iranian Cluster Bomb-Bearing Missile

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

i24 NewsThe Israeli military said Saturday it launched a probe into the failure of its defenses to fully intercept a missile launched by Yemen’s Houthi jihadists, parts of which struck not far from the Ben Gurion airport on Friday night.

According to the Ynet website, one of the hypotheses being examined is that the projectile contained cluster munitions, similar to those used by Iran to fire at Israeli cities during the 12-day war in June. Cluster munitions pose a challenge to interceptors as they disperse smaller explosives over a wide area.

In June, Iran fired several missiles carrying scattered small bombs with the aim of increasing civilian casualties.

The IDF said on Saturday that its initial review suggests the ballistic missile from Yemen likely fragmented in mid-air. Five interceptors from various systems engaged with the missile, including THAAD, Arrow, David Sling & Iron Dome.

Authorities said that shrapnel impacted a house in the central Israeli moshav of Ginaton, yet no one was hurt, with the fragment landing in the house’s backyard.

Continue Reading

RSS

Iran Forces Kill Six Militants, IRNA Reports, Israel Link Seen

The Iranian flag is seen flying over a street in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 3, 2023. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Iranian security forces shot dead six militants in a clash in southeastern Iran on Saturday, a day after armed rebels killed five police officers in the restive region, the official news agency IRNA reported.

IRNA said evidence showed the group was linked to Israel and may have been trained by Israel‘s Mossad spy agency. There was no immediate Israeli reaction to the allegation.

Another two members of the militant group were arrested, the report said. All but one of the militants were foreign, it added, without giving their nationality.

Iranian police said this month they had arrested as many as 21,000 suspects during the 12-day war with Israel in June.

Iran’s southeast has been the scene of sporadic clashes between security forces and armed groups, including Sunni militants and separatists who say they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy.

Tehran says some of them have ties to foreign powers and are involved in cross-border smuggling and insurgency.

Continue Reading

RSS

Benny Gantz Urges Time-Limited National Unity Government to Further Chances of Hostage Deal

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz attends his party’s meeting at the Knesset, Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

i24 NewsBlue and White Party leader Benny Gantz on Saturday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition politicians to form a temporary national unity government to further the chances of bringing home the hostages held in Gaza.

Addressing Netanyahu, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Liberman, Gantz said that the proposed government’s two supreme priorities would be the release of Israeli hostages held by the jihadists of Hamas and instituting universal conscription in Israel by ending the exemption from military service enjoyed by the ultra-Orthodox.

Upon attainment of the goals, the government would dissolve and call an election.

“The government’s term will begin with a hostage deal that brings everyone home,” Gantz said in a video address. “Within weeks, we will formulate an enlistment outline that would see our ultra-Orthodox brethren drafted to the military and ease the burden on those already serving. Finally, we will announce an agreed-upon election date in the spring of 2026 and pass a law to dissolve the Knesset [Israeli parliament] accordingly. This is what’s right for Israel.”

Continue Reading

Copyright © 2017 - 2023 Jewish Post & News