AN OSCAR FOR THE MOVIE THAT GLORIFIES TERRORISTS?
Bomb Victims' Parents Petition Academy Awards to Reject Movie - Chris McGreal (Guardian-UK)
The parents of three Israeli children killed in a suicide bombing have sent a petition with 32,000 names to Hollywood to demand that the Palestinian film "Paradise Now," about two suicide bombers planning an attack, be dropped from the Oscars this weekend on the grounds that it promotes terrorism.
"Paradise Now is artistic terror," said Yossi Mendellevich, whose son, Yuvi, 13, died in the bombing of a Haifa bus three years ago that killed 17 Israelis including nine children. "The film contributes to the death industry and the myth of the suicide bombers. By promoting and praising the film as an Oscar nominee, I'm sure the queue to become suicide killers will be much longer."
See also Putting "Palestine" on the Map? - Hilary Leila Krieger (Jerusalem Post)
It was bad enough that "Paradise Now" was nominated for an Oscar. But then the official Academy Awards website listed the film's country of origin as "Palestine." This sparked protests from Israeli officials since no state of Palestine exists.
"Unfortunately, Israel often concedes the struggle over terminology and then pays the price in negotiations later," asserts Dore Gold, a former Israeli ambassador to the UN. He points to the widespread application of the phrase "occupied territories" rather than "disputed territories" to the West Bank and Gaza.
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, asks: Why would Palestinians compromise if they feel they are "getting everything," including international recognition, already?
1 comment:
I’m not sure recalling the oscar nomination for Paradise Now is the best way to go. But if the affair shines some light on how terror victims feel, and on the real danger of glorifying and mis-representing the depravity of the murderers, then that has to be a good thing.
This was brought home to me via an especially moving and blunt speech from a terror victim. I found it online at http://www.kerenmalki.org/Valencia_Conference_Feb06.htm
The speaker, a father of a child murdered by people like the Paradise Now ‘hero’ expresses this very well, I think.
I wish it could be brought to the attention of people on both sides of this academy award debate. That would really be show business.
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