On behalf of the Israeli documentary and film community we release our collective response to unfortunate event that occurred during the opening ceremony of this year’s IDFA festival. Please support this stand with your signature. 

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To IDFA team, board of directors and the int’l film industry

On behalf of the documentary and film community in Israel we are reaching out to express our uttermost dismay, disappointment and concern by the event that occurred during the opening ceremony of IDFA on November 8th. 

Allowing and applauding a sign which states that “From River to the Sea Palestine will be Free“ is a call for the eradication of Israel, the Jewish homeland and of Jews in general. Applauding and cheering the protesters on, was the festival’s director, Mr. Orwa Nyrabia, which allows us to believe that this is IDFA‘s official and reprehensible stance towards Israel and towards Jews .

These are undeniably terrible times for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who are suffering daily, as they are for the citizens of Israel, in the wake of the atrocities carried out by Hamas on October 7th, and for the 240 hostages who are still being held by the terror organization. 

We are at a crucial and critical time in history and words matter- Nyrabia’s muted and pale official response to the event  ”IDFA… distances itself from the slogan stated on the activists' canvas” further iterates that he is fully aware of the horrific meaning of this slogan, the hate it mongers and the antisemitism it invokes. 

We see this as a personal attack against us, as citizens of the land you called to eliminate and your public support as incitement that can cost lives. 

We expect and implore the festival to support a humanitarian solution and show empathy- rather than to give a stage to antisemitic sentiment and extremist ideology which only deepens hatred and polarization. 

As an industry, and as a people, we have always championed and excelled at showcasing a wide variety of voices, opinions and perspectives in our works - but we are united in our stance that this event should be condemned. We call on the director of IDFA, and on its board of directors to clearly and resoundingly distance themselves, reject and denounce these calls for violence - and withdraw any platform for those who knowingly incite for the annihilation of Israel, instigating violence and giving rise to anti-Semitic sentiments against Jews everywhere.

Signed on behalf of the Israeli film community: 

Hagit Ben Yaakov -  Chairwoman, Israeli Documentary Forum 

Pnina Halfon Lang - Executive Director, CoPro - The Israeli Content Marketing Foundation 

Assaf Amir - Chairman, Israeli Film & TV Academy 

Adar Shafran - Chairman, Israeli Producers Union 

Limor Pinhasov - Chairwoman, Israel Directors Guild

Ayala Sharot - Chairwoman, Animation Guild of Israel

Nadav Ben Simon - Executive Director, Screen Writers Guild of Israel 

Limor Haaronivtz - Docaviv Int’l Film Festival

Roni Mahadav- Levin Jerusalem Film Festival

Yaron Shamir - Artistic Director, Haifa Film Festival 

Riki Blich - Chairwoman, Shaham, The Israeli Actors Organization 

Galy Reshef -  Chairman, ACT - The Israel Association of Cinema and TV Professionals

Tamir Hod, Cinema South Film Festival

Eli Ohana - Chairman, Alma - Association for the Production Professions

Guy Lavie - VP Documentaries, yes TV

Rinat Klein - Head of Channel 8