Originally set to screen at The Vine Cinema in Livermore, Where Olive Trees Weep was cancelled after the business owner was bombarded with emails calling for him to cancel the screening. 

The emails claimed that the movie was antisemitic, full of hate speech and depicted terrorists. The business owner got scared and cancelled our private reservation less than a week before our event. 

At that point, we had 75 tickets sold. Not wanting to disappoint everyone who wanted to attend the movie screening, we quickly moved our event to Asbury United Methodist Church. 

We would like to thank Asbury United Methodist Church for accommodating us on such short notice and taking a pro-humanity stance.

Shortly after, the staff of the church as well as all Livermore elected officials started receiving emails calling for them to cancel the screening. 

Signatories on these emails are individuals living in New York and not Bay Area locals. 

We, the undersigned, are Bay Area locals who want Asbury United Methodist Church to screen Where Olive Trees Weep, as planned. 

Not only are the claims made in the harassing emails blatantly false, they are an example of how Palestinian voices and stories are targeted and censored. 

Additionally, one of the movie producers, Dr Gabor Maté, is himself a Jewish Holocaust survivor. Jewish Voices for Peace will also be attending our event in an official capacity. 

We urge the church not to give into bullying from individuals who aren’t even local to our area, who seek to suppress the voices of an oppressed community. We urge you to listen to your neighbors, friends, community members and local leaders and allow this film to screen. 

For more information about the movie, or to watch it for yourself, visit https://whereolivetreesweep.com