Tuesday, November 5FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA, PALESTINE WILL BE FREE

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NOVANEWS

by Ira Glunts on March 7, 2010 ·
“Ajami” is the Israeli nominee for “Best Foreign Film” at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony.  However, what promised to be a public relations coup for the Israelis threatens to become a political embarrassment that exposes the wide rift between the country’s Jewish and Arab citizens. The film (the third consecutive Oscar nomination for Israel) has been applauded for its realistic view of life in an Arab slum neighborhood in Jaffa and also for the oft-mentioned multicultural feel-good component; the film was co-directed by two young filmmakers, Yaron Shani and Scandar Copti — one Jewish and one Palestinian-Israeli.
Jewish Israelis take pride in their successful artists, viewing them as a reflection of the nation’s creativity, sensitivity and sometimes even what some like to call a “nuanced” political understanding.  On the international stage, these Zionist cultural ambassadors work well in obfuscating the image of brutality and repression that usually emerges from the news headlines, whether the subject is discrimination against non-Jewish citizens, the siege of Gaza, the West Bank settlers, the Judaization of East Jerusalem or a threatened attack of Iran. Especially among some Jewish occupation critics, the sensitive artist narrative serves as a useful argument against cultural boycotts, while layering illegal Israeli government actions and alarming popular support for racist policy with the illusion and comfort of hope. 
See: www.mondoweiss.net 

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