Comments on: The Anti-Hate Declaration – Avoiding Propaganda: An Open Letter to the Toronto Palestinian Film Festival http://www.jewlicious.com/2009/09/the-anti-hate-declaration-no-celebration-an-open-letter-to-the-toronto-palestinian-film-festival/ It's a Jewish Blog! Sat, 20 Mar 2010 05:58:24 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: themiddle http://www.jewlicious.com/2009/09/the-anti-hate-declaration-no-celebration-an-open-letter-to-the-toronto-palestinian-film-festival/comment-page-1/#comment-1354462 themiddle Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:58:31 +0000 http://www.jewlicious.com/?p=10603#comment-1354462 Really? Palestinian experiences of Israel are negative? You don't say! Wow, is that why ALL the films at this festival are critical of Israel? It's pretty condescending of you to think the Palestinians are a monolithic people who do not have in their society people who are independent thinkers, those who seek to be critical of their own society or those who see the many positive aspects of Israeli society. Do you really believe that every Palestinian holds Israel accountable for everything that has happened and that happens in this conflict? Do you think the Palestinians are idiots? I don't. I think there's a tremendous amount of governmental and societal pressure to produce these types of films and that the majority of Palestinians may feel this way, but that there are also other opinions and other voices. One would expect that even if Palestinians inside Gaza or Judea and Samaria/West Bank are restricted for fear of being harmed by other Palestinians, those who live outside in the West would be able to conjure up some films that are critical of their own society. These films don't exist? Not even among Israeli-Arabs? How about more complex films that at least give a nuanced look at the conflict? What about<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/09/200992891013627492.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Ajami</a>? What about Elia Suleiman? How about films by Ibtisam Maraana? These are not friends to Israel but at least they bring the complexity of the conflict to their films. At least last year the TPFF showed a film by Buthina Khoury about honor killings and another by Hanna Elias about the challenges of traditional life in Palestinian society. Where is this year's Buthina Khoury? Are you actually saying there isn't something to tell about women in Palestinian society, or homosexuals, or Christians whose churches are used by Muslim fighters to attack Israelis? As for "an even-handed depiction of Israeli society and the violence it has used against Palestine in furtherance of its own goals," I can assure you that not only are such films produced in abundance in Israel, most with government funding, but I have seen my share. I've seen them at the Jerusalem Film Festival, at the Haifa Film Festival, in Tel Aviv and outside of Israel at Jewish film festivals. Amazing, huh? <blockquote>"Are you aware that Israel has been accused of war crimes as well?"</blockquote> Certainly. Really? Palestinian experiences of Israel are negative? You don’t say! Wow, is that why ALL the films at this festival are critical of Israel?

It’s pretty condescending of you to think the Palestinians are a monolithic people who do not have in their society people who are independent thinkers, those who seek to be critical of their own society or those who see the many positive aspects of Israeli society. Do you really believe that every Palestinian holds Israel accountable for everything that has happened and that happens in this conflict? Do you think the Palestinians are idiots?

I don’t. I think there’s a tremendous amount of governmental and societal pressure to produce these types of films and that the majority of Palestinians may feel this way, but that there are also other opinions and other voices. One would expect that even if Palestinians inside Gaza or Judea and Samaria/West Bank are restricted for fear of being harmed by other Palestinians, those who live outside in the West would be able to conjure up some films that are critical of their own society.

These films don’t exist? Not even among Israeli-Arabs? How about more complex films that at least give a nuanced look at the conflict? What about Ajami? What about Elia Suleiman? How about films by Ibtisam Maraana? These are not friends to Israel but at least they bring the complexity of the conflict to their films.

At least last year the TPFF showed a film by Buthina Khoury about honor killings and another by Hanna Elias about the challenges of traditional life in Palestinian society. Where is this year’s Buthina Khoury? Are you actually saying there isn’t something to tell about women in Palestinian society, or homosexuals, or Christians whose churches are used by Muslim fighters to attack Israelis?

As for “an even-handed depiction of Israeli society and the violence it has used against Palestine in furtherance of its own goals,” I can assure you that not only are such films produced in abundance in Israel, most with government funding, but I have seen my share. I’ve seen them at the Jerusalem Film Festival, at the Haifa Film Festival, in Tel Aviv and outside of Israel at Jewish film festivals. Amazing, huh?

“Are you aware that Israel has been accused of war crimes as well?”

Certainly.

]]> By: Leslie Kong http://www.jewlicious.com/2009/09/the-anti-hate-declaration-no-celebration-an-open-letter-to-the-toronto-palestinian-film-festival/comment-page-1/#comment-1354408 Leslie Kong Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:20:41 +0000 http://www.jewlicious.com/?p=10603#comment-1354408 "the films at TPFF that discuss Gaza are almost exclusively critical of Israel." that's because that's what their experience is. so the films reflect that experience. you want them to say what you think they should say, even though that is not their experience? how about "an even-handed depiction of Israeli society and the violence it has used against Palestine in furtherance of its own goals?" wait, let me guess.. you don't want to see that film. are you aware that Israel has been accused of war crimes as well? “the films at TPFF that discuss Gaza are almost exclusively critical of Israel.”
that’s because that’s what their experience is. so the films reflect that experience. you want them to say what you think they should say, even though that is not their experience?

how about “an even-handed depiction of Israeli society and the violence it has used against Palestine in furtherance of its own goals?” wait, let me guess.. you don’t want to see that film.

are you aware that Israel has been accused of war crimes as well?

]]> By: Jewlicious » Is Toronto Film Festival Protest Organized by Palestine House? An Investigative Report http://www.jewlicious.com/2009/09/the-anti-hate-declaration-no-celebration-an-open-letter-to-the-toronto-palestinian-film-festival/comment-page-1/#comment-1353983 Jewlicious » Is Toronto Film Festival Protest Organized by Palestine House? An Investigative Report Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:48:45 +0000 http://www.jewlicious.com/?p=10603#comment-1353983 [...] Is Toronto Film Festival Protest Organized by Palestine House? An Investigative Report Written by themiddle Please read our new Open Letter to the Toronto Palestine Film Festival. [...] [...] Is Toronto Film Festival Protest Organized by Palestine House? An Investigative Report Written by themiddle Please read our new Open Letter to the Toronto Palestine Film Festival. [...]

]]> By: Charlie H. Ettinson http://www.jewlicious.com/2009/09/the-anti-hate-declaration-no-celebration-an-open-letter-to-the-toronto-palestinian-film-festival/comment-page-1/#comment-1352682 Charlie H. Ettinson Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:58:17 +0000 http://www.jewlicious.com/?p=10603#comment-1352682 This is a really interesting. I think it does a good job of underscoring a general Palestinian (and supporters of Palestinians) reluctance to be self critical, to be introspective and to be curious about the reasons for their situation and the conflict. When one looks at Jews or Israel one encounters a strong peace movement, anti-Israeli Israelis, groupls like Jews Against the Occupation and the like, but such groups and individuals seem conspicuously absent on the "other side." I would be fascinated by any TPFF reply to this letter and especially to see if it adresses the points made or responds with the typical deflections of "yeah, well, Israel's worse." This is a really interesting. I think it does a good job of underscoring a general Palestinian (and supporters of Palestinians) reluctance to be self critical, to be introspective and to be curious about the reasons for their situation and the conflict.
When one looks at Jews or Israel one encounters a strong peace movement, anti-Israeli Israelis, groupls like Jews Against the Occupation and the like, but such groups and individuals seem conspicuously absent on the “other side.”
I would be fascinated by any TPFF reply to this letter and especially to see if it adresses the points made or responds with the typical deflections of “yeah, well, Israel’s worse.”

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