Israel’s Culture Minister Slams Palestinian-Themed Film. (Pic- The Sea/ The Israeli Film Foundation)
Israel’s culture minister has announced plans to withdraw funding from the country’s film academy and its annual awards show after a film about a Palestinian boy’s dream of seeing the ocean won multiple prizes.
At the 2025 Ophir Awards in Tel Aviv, often called the “Israeli Oscars,” The Sea was named Best Picture. Directed and written by Shai Carmeli Pollak and produced by Baher Agbariya, the film follows a young boy traveling from Ramallah in the West Bank to the coastal city of Tel Aviv. It will now represent Israel in the International Feature Film category at the Oscars.
The movie won four other awards, including Best Actor for 13-year-old Muhammad Ghazawi, making him the youngest ever to receive the honour. Khalifa Natour, who plays the boy’s father, won Best Supporting Actor.
During the ceremony, several filmmakers and nominees criticised the Israeli government and called for an end to the war in Gaza. Producer Baher Agbariya said, “This film is about every child’s right to live in peace. We are all equal. Peace and equality are not an illusion but a choice here and now.”
Ministry threatens to cut funding
The day after the ceremony, the Israeli Ministry of Culture announced it would cut state funding for the “disgraceful” awards show. Government claimed the winning film “presents the Palestinian perspective and depicts the IDF and State of Israel negatively.”
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Culture Minister Miki Zohar called the awards “a spit in the face of Israeli citizens” and accused the film of defaming Israeli soldiers.
Zohar also revealed plans to launch a new government-sponsored award show, which will be called the “Israeli State Oscar,” to honour films and creators “reflecting the nation’s values and spirit.” He criticised the Ophir Awards for promoting “foreign, disconnected narratives against Israel and IDF soldiers.”
The move comes just days after the Emmys, where the war in Gaza was a major topic. Actors like Hannah Einbinder and Javier Bardem spoke out in support of a ceasefire. Over 1,000 actors and directors have pledged not to work with Israeli film organizations because of the conflict.
British screenwriter David Farr explained how coming from a family of Holocaust survivours, he feels upset and angry at the Israeli government, which he says has treated Palestinians unfairly for decades and is now causing harm in Gaza.
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Academy Defends Its Choice
The Israeli Academy of Film and Television defended its selection process, adding that winners are chosen by members, creators, and cultural figures “who choose the best of Israeli cinema with a commitment to cinematic excellence, artistic freedom, and freedom of expression.”
Academy chairman Assaf Amir said he is “proud that an Arabic-language film, the fruit of cooperation between Jewish Israelis and Palestinians, is representing Israel at the Academy Awards. Israeli cinema proves once again that it is relevant and responsive to a complex and painful reality.”
He called the movie a general portrayal of ordinary human suffering and, in particular, its protagonist, a Palestinian child whose only wish is to reach the sea.
Legal experts have questioned whether Zohar has the authority to withhold funding. Oded Feller of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel told CNN that Zohar’s threats are “empty” and that “The ministry’s budget does not belong to his mother, and he is not empowered to interfere with cultural content or the professional judgment of those who select the films.”
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Zohar has clashed with the film industry before as well. Last year, the joint Israeli-Palestinian documentary No Other Land won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Its directors, Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham, used their speeches to denounce destruction in Gaza and call for global action to end the injustice.
Zohar described that win as a “regrettable moment for the cinematic world” and branded it “sabotage” against Israel.
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