IDFA issued an apology November 10 following the publication of an open letter by leading representatives of the Israeli documentary and film community expressing their “uttermost dismay, disappointment and concern” at the November 8 opening night protest which saw the public display of a sign which read, ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’
The open letter accused Artistic Director Orwa Nyrabia of “applauding and cheering the protesters on…which allows us to believe that this is IDFA‘s official and reprehensible stance towards Israel and towards Jews.”
It was issued after IDFA’s report of the event was published online, which was described as a “muted and pale official response to the event.” The letter further accuses Nyrabia of being “fully aware of the horrific meaning of this slogan, the hate it mongers and the antisemitism it invokes.”
The IDFA response quotes Nyrabia’s recollection of events at the November 8 opening night ceremony. “The slogan written on the banner held by the young protesters, which later was reported as very visible to the audience but not to me on stage, is a triggering statement and an offensive declaration for many, regardless of who carries it. It does not represent IDFA, and was and will not be endorsed. I apologize for not paying attention to the banner in the moment. I clapped to welcome freedom of speech, and not to welcome the slogan. I only learned about the slogan on the banner from the team as I went backstage when the opening film started.”
The IDFA statement continues: “IDFA would like to clearly state that we understand that the slogan was hurtful, and sincerely apologize for how this happened. There are many ways that people use or read this slogan, and that various sides use it in opposing ways, all of which we do not agree with, and we believe that this slogan should not be used in any way and by anybody anymore. IDFA does not endorse or agree with any of that. We do not endorse or accept justification for any violence, mass murder, collective punishment, dehumanization, oppression, militarization, injustice, or chauvinism, no matter from whom or against whom. We do not accept to see history with one eye, to simplify human tragedy, or to generalize and judge any people by their worst. We stand by the ethics of valuing human life, all and every human life.”
Both texts are printed here in full:
November 10, 2023. 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 anti-Semitic 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 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
The IDFA response of November 10 reads:
IDFA and Artistic Director’s statement about the Opening Night
“We are deeply thankful to the many friends and colleagues, from the Jewish community in Amsterdam and internationally, from Israel, from Palestine, and many other places, for reaching out to IDFA, over the past 24 hours, following the surprise protest that took place on our opening night and the hurtful slogan written on a banner by the protestors, for voicing their concerns, expressing the hurt they felt. Our mission is to create a safe and open space for civic debate, to exercise freedom and democracy, equity, and to present a complex view of the world and of the human condition. Our mission and our intentions are the opposite of hurting anybody or making them feel unsafe. That slogan does not represent us, and we do not endorse it in any way. We are truly sorry that it was hurtful to many.
It was a difficult journey towards the opening night. Like every other cultural institution, IDFA is trying to be respectful and useful and that is not easy within the current political climate. We sincerely opted for an approach that is open, that respects everybody, every pain, and provides a safe platform for all voices. It is a difficult and a risky approach, and it does not make any side particularly happy with us. But, we believe in this position being necessary, being the role and the true meaning of a documentary film festival. The past month was extreme, with news of death tolls filling the news, and various forces pressuring for a clear-cut position that could lead to marginalizing the pain of the other.
“Our Artistic Director Orwa Nyrabia has spoken and written about this choice of ours many times over the past month. Also on stage at the opening night:
“’During the opening night, I spoke on stage about this open position. I said that during such dark times a festival is necessary, and a festival proves its worth by providing that missing safe space for everybody, for a serious and responsible civic debate through the art of film. I repeated that everybody is welcome here within the lines of respecting the other. As I was moving to the next part of the event, I heard chants from the balcony, and people took the stage. The slogan written on the banner held by the young protesters, which later was reported as very visible to the audience but not to me on stage, is a triggering statement and an offensive declaration for many, regardless of who carries it. It does not represent IDFA, and was and will not be endorsed. I apologize for not paying attention to the banner in the moment. I clapped to welcome freedom of speech, and not to welcome the slogan. I only learned about the slogan on the banner from the team as I went backstage when the opening film started.’”
“IDFA would like to clearly state that we understand that the slogan was hurtful, and sincerely apologize for how this happened. There are many ways that people use or read this slogan, and that various sides use it in opposing ways, all of which we do not agree with, and we believe that this slogan should not be used in any way and by anybody anymore. IDFA does not endorse or agree with any of that. We do not endorse or accept justification for any violence, mass murder, collective punishment, dehumanization, oppression, militarization, injustice, or chauvinism, no matter from whom or against whom. We do not accept to see history with one eye, to simplify human tragedy, or to generalize and judge any people by their worst. We stand by the ethics of valuing human life, all and every human life.”
