What is the ‘No Other Land’ controversy?
No Other Land won one Oscar Award from the 97th Academy Awards despite being unavailable in North America. Despite its critical acclaim, the film received mixed reactions from viewers.
Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham collaborated on the film to shed light on the plight of Palestinians at Masafer Yatta. The documentary features the demolition of homes at the West Bank by Israel’s military. “The camera is our only tool we have—to have evidence,” Adra told Al Jazeera Plus.
Abraham felt compelled to bring light to the issue after witnessing the destruction of a house in East Jerusalem. He alleged that the Israeli government “uses building permits and urban planning as a weapon” against Palestinians. Through this system, the government can intentionally populate areas with a Jewish majority.
Needless to say, the film was gut-wrenching for many viewers. The demolitions were hasty, and residents hardly had time to pack their prized possessions. “My hope for my daughter is that she will not live the same life I’m living now,” said Adra in his acceptance speech. “Always fearing settler violence, home demolitions, and forceful displacements that my community in Masafer Yatta is living and facing every day under the Israeli occupation.”
Abraham also highlighted the unequal treatment of Palestinians and Israelis under Israel’s government. “We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law, and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life, and he cannot control.” He argued that there is a political solution for Palestinians and Jewish people to coexist. “There is a different path: a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people.”
“The foreign policy of this country [the United States] is helping to block this path,” Abraham boldly critiqued. The Israeli journalist concluded that peace can be achieved only if Palestinians and Jewish people are afforded the same rights.
Reality can be divisive
Social media users largely praised No Other Land for its Academy Award victory. However, there were also voices online that actively railed against the movie’s subsequent win. Zionists were largely offended by the film and criticized Abraham and described him as “self-flagellating” to gain recognition from Palestinian activists. They also framed Masafer Yatta as land deemed by the Israeli government fit for military training.
Despite their assertions, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recognizes the area as occupied Palestinian territory. Amnesty International raised that the residents of Masafer Yatta are under threat of forcible displacement by Israeli authorities.
Another X user went from being excited about the Academy Awards to stringing up a bunch of curses against the award show after No Other Land won an award. For showing a film about displacement, some critics dismissed the movie as nothing more than “anti-Israel” propaganda. Meanwhile, the other side of the fence is disgruntled that there isn’t enough coverage about No Other Land. Former Al Jazeera Plus host Sana Saeed accused newsrooms across the country of dancing around the issue regarding Israel and Palestine.
Essentially, reality can be as divisive as it is disturbing.
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