From JTA’s report on the movie "Ajami" not winning the Oscar last night:
Just hours before the Oscars ceremony, [co-director Scandar] Copti [a Christian Palestinian] said he was not representing Israel.
“I am not the Israeli national team and I do not represent Israel,” Copti said in an interview on Israel’s Channel 2. “It is an extremely technical thing, that’s how it works in the Oscars. It says ‘Israel’ because the funding comes from Israel. There’s a Palestinian director, an Israeli director, Palestinian actors and Israeli actors. The film technically represents Israel, but I don’t represent Israel.”
Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat criticized Copti’s remarks. "The film ‘Ajami’ was produced and received an Oscar nomination thanks to funds from the State of Israel, which Scandar Copti now tries to renounce," Livnat said. "Without the state’s support, Copti would not be walking on the red carpet tonight."
If memory serves, the film was very low budget, about a million dollars–an arm of the Israeli government contributed half of that amount–I guess because one of the two directors was Jewish?
link to jewishjournal.com
And, since both were Israelis, doesn’t this mimic the respective discriminatory Israeli government funding
of the 80% versus 20% of its citizens? We all know that the Arab citizens get very little
state support dollars per capita when compared to the Jewish citizens of Israel–even if they just moved to Israel from Brooklyn or Westchester County. You, know, “separate but equal?”
You wrote, “Israel…contributed…”
Israel NEVER “contributes.” Israel invests. There’s a difference.
Mr. Livnat, give credit where credit is due.
“Without the State’s support, Israel would not be walking on the West Bank tonight.”
Is it just my perception, or does Copti has the same flavour as Nigger?
People we value and respect, we address by their name. If we want to demean someone, we twist the name or create nicknames, but to really make someone to become nobody, we give them a generic name, or a ……………. number.
sort of like Goy ?
whenever I hear it employed it is most definitely to confer status of “the other” and often it is accompanied by contempt
we should do away with all such words, but most importantly the thinking behind them and the codified religious beliefs that give them legitimacy within a respective culture
I don’t understand you. Copti is his family name. link to imdb.com
What in the world are you talking about? Copti is his name. Scandar Copti.
What should he be called?
Thats Mr. Copti to you, Julian!
Far be it from me to introduce any sort of serious discussion (though radii gets all the credit for taking the first stab at it), but I agree that there is a propensity in Western culture — American culture specifically, which overlaps significantly with Israeli culture at this point in my estimation — to take anything Arab (or even Arab sounding) and treat it like its radioactive. We’ve seen all the usual suspects here do that. You can thank MEMRI in large part for training the American public to react to Arabic in Pavlovian fashion, although certainly there are various organizations of Zionist, neoconservative or neoliberal ilk who have contributed to this effort.
A few months ago, a friend of mine and myself went to a Middle Eastern food stand that recently re-opened in the neighborhood. My friend is Middle Eastern himself, and so engaged the owner in conversation in their native tongue. There was another white person at the stand at the time. I’m presuming he didn’t realize it was Middle Eastern — the sign merely says “Ethnic Cuisine.” He was flushed and glancing nervously at everyone else the whole time. Even me, presumably, and I could rub chalk on my skin to darken my complexion. I didn’t know if he was going to crap his pants, flee, start screaming at us at some point or get violent. I was actually a tiny bit worried for a while. I mean, this guy was panicked.
And all my friend and the owner were doing were speaking Arabic.
Chaos, he was looking for allies. Alone, he didn’t have the courage to say a thing, but if he could get a couple more bigots to join him they could defend America against a terrorist Arabic attack.
Needless to say, he didn’t find an ally in me.
More mountains out of molehills.
A consistently principled academic and cultural boycott would insist that solidarity NOT watch Ajami, or Waltz with Bashir, or other Israeli films.
Do you favor that cultural boycott Phil?
The Israeli cultural minister should not have expected “representation” of Israel. The art itself speaks for itself, worthy of being seen, worthy of maintaining a rich diverse cultural expression (not a target for suppression).
So, Witty, you disfavor Brand Israel activity? That’s your favorite country’s official policy.
Funny how your respect for art goes completely down the toilet and you fall silent whenever we have articles on Mondoweiss talking about Israeli raids on Palestinian cultural venues, Witty.
“Do you favor that cultural boycott Phil?”
Yeah, Phil! Witty’s talkin’ to yuh, Phil! You better show up here, pants pressed and shoes shiny and justify yourself to Richard Witty!
For any who might wonder, I’ve been reading Mondoweiss for about a year, and I’ve never seen Phil answer Witty. Gosh, I wonder why not?
But Richard just can’t resist the presumption, can he?
I’ve been reading Mondoweiss almost from its inception. I don’t recall Phil ever answering Witty…maybe he did once or twice, at most.
He’s responded a couple times. Not often.
Sometimes he responds to private e-mails, sometimes not.
I just read his “coming out” as an anti-Zionist from a while ago on Huffington.
Its a very difficult time to be a liberal Zionist as the Israeli right is so entrenched, and the radical left and left-right is so entrenched, and the Hamas right is so entrenched.
Each rejecting the humanity and rights to self-govern of the other.
Norman F has spoken publicly of his reluctant support for a two-state solution at the green line, which I also support, more enthusiastically. There is the potential for collaboration on that goal. (Me as a common “type”, not individually.)
He’s been careless, in his condemnation of liberal Jews. (I’ve seen his fangs first hand.) and in his flirtation with advocacy for Hamas and Hezbollah.
Again, if he is really committed, he will control his tongue (and his heart), so that he reaches people who are vain enough to like to think of themselves as compassionate, rather than the risk of political judgment (with a mean long white beard).
If he were willing to speak in first person, “I’ve been moved by what I saw and the people I’ve spoken to” prominently. “I understand this from this reading and this conversation, as a peer, a common human being.” Even, in differing. “I hear what you are saying. I considered that, but it conflicted with this that I saw, and I concluded y. If this condition changed I would reconsider.”
Its recommendations. Others I’m sure have made similar.
Its obvious to me that he is a very compassionate man in many ways, and that that drives him (as well as likely some personal fixations). I wish that he would expand that compassion to include Zionists, even ones that are threatened by his comments.
I personally believe in human goodness and kindness as important motivations, more than I believe in political criteria.
Maybe I’m just cursed to address a political and ideological world.
I dare to think Phil could turn your own table around on you. It would be easy.
He does not bother to do so directly to you–I think he has been speaking eloquently concerning what he thinks of your opinion. I wonder if you had his blog, would you allow him to stay on there as a regular commenter? No need to respond–I think the regulars here know the answer already.
Witty, starting a blog is easy. You spend enough time here on Mondoweiss, why not just start your own blog and promulgate your own views? Methinks you are no longer clear on your views and are floundering.
I think you have appointed yourself dorm supervisor of this blog’s comments section because you’re desperately afraid of these newfangled ideas the students have and are so set in your ways you cannot see how the coming changes will bring sunlight to your heart too
I came here to dialog with my old friend Phil, but got sucked into soup.
I am an advocate for moderation and mutual acceptance, and an opponent of ideological orientation especially that concludes that my community not be afforded self-governance.
On activism. Its an art. And, a large part of this art is to persuade, not to bludgeon.
I contest that bludgeoning creates war, whereas persuasion results in peace and justice.
The concept of Israeli/Jewish self-governance is not a trivial one, not one to ignore as irrelevant.
It is possible to value Israeli self-governance, and to urge that it be done considerately, lawfully, kindly.
“Its a very difficult time to be a liberal Zionist as the Israeli right is so entrenched, and the radical left and left-right is so entrenched, and the Hamas right is so entrenched.”
Just flip the coin over RW, on one side you will find the Zionist right and on the other side the Zionist left, the coin resides in an elites pocket.
Lie number one. If that were true, you’d be emailing him, not spamming his blog.
Lie number two. You always endorse pro-Israeli lobbying activities, and you always condemn anti-occupation / anti-war activities. Additionally, you only want to see a democracy in Israel so long as Jews and Jews alone have the majority, and so therefore you want to see the ethnic cleansing set in stone and the judenreich forever enshrined at the expense of Palestinian lives and livelihood.
And then of course, there’s your Orwellian rejection of democratic transparency. As well as your blatant xenophobia of Arab states. There is nothing moderate about you, Witty.
Palestinian self-governance, though, that you shit upon at any opportunity. You support the blockade, you support the walls and checkpoints and racial profiling, and when it comes down to it, you even endorse the “Jews-only” apartheid legislation — like you have here.
i don’t think anyone has a problem with any community self-governing – i think a great and growing majority in the world views the zionists of israel as trying to govern nearly everyone else – especially those in closest proximity to them – and that they do it ruthlessly, inhumanely, and cruelly … all the while claiming some kind of victimhood which allows them and them alone to act outside the accepted norms of decency, humanity and international law … self-governance, by definition, cannot involve the mechanisms of control over others
So urge the shift back to just confident self-governance, through peace, rather than the reaction that results in warring and harrassment.
You should be making common cause with those Jews and Israelis that are sympathetic to the health of both communities, rather than either/or approaches.
Its not just anarchists.
The shift to a an emphasis on a state rather than a more anarchic “community” occurred because of violent harrassment of many Jewish settlers (residents), and later the organized harrassment of all Zionist communities.
There were MANY greedy players within and without the Jewish and the Arab communities, that made early co-existence impossible.
They still do their work, their words, their actions. Rather than working to reconcile and co-exist now.
How come you’re only concerned with democracy after Euro-Jews like yourself had their shoot-em-up free-for-all land grab against the Palestinians? Isn’t this kind of like Germany snapping up Poland and, in a theoretical scenario, successfully instituting lebensraum, replacing Poles with “reinrassig” and saying, “Zhere! Ve have brought democracy and self-determination to Poland!”
I’m sorry Richard, it’s been pretty obvious for a long time he wants Israel destroyed and made into another 3rd world Arab State.
Because heaven forbid that somebody with white skin would have to live like those “colored people” in Africa or the Middle East, huh, Julian?
Your choice of friends on this blog speaks volumes about you, Witty.
“Maybe I’m just cursed to address a political and ideological world.”
Poor bubele. God must be good, that He would let one so just come among us poor ideological and political world a breyte deye hob’n!
Zol makekhs voxen offen tsung!
“I came here to dialog with my old friend Phil,”
The one you said was “brainwashed” or “coerced” by the Gazans? That “old friend”?
You mistake principles for commandments. Principles can be intelligently applied.
Koshiro: You mistake principles for commandments. Principles can be intelligently applied.
Recognising that obvious distinction would invalidate the “bludgeoning” “ideological” “punitive” “non-engaging” “shutting down dialogue” argument against BDS, and we can’t have that now, can we? Why bother with substance when a good solid straw man will do nicely? Prove it to me. Show me. As the Hebrew expression goes, “go prove you haven’t got a sister”.
Scandar Copti achieved more with his declaration than any boycott of the film could have acheived. He foiled Israeli hasbara attempts to exploit his success, spoiled a perfectly good chance to show how normal and tolerant and cultured and wonderful Israel is. Most of all, he ruined the myth that Israel is a democracy in which Palestinians enjoy equal rights. Livnat said Palestinians live well in Israel, and Copti said “no we don’t”. All of the Israeli rhetoric about ungrateful Arabs and Copti “wrapping himself in the Hamas flag” just prove his point. Take that, Brand Israel.
Yes, this is exactly so–Scandar’s good radar.
Yes, this is exactly so–Scandar’s good radar.
“Limor Livnat criticized Copti’s remarks. ‘The film ‘Ajami’ was produced and received an Oscar nomination thanks to funds from the State of Israel’”
Typical.
Hey! Israel paid good money for that Oscar nomination!
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Another Israeli response in the Jerusalem Post:
A furious National Union MK Michael Ben Ari suggested that Israel change the Cinema Law, which serves as the guidebook to fund Israeli films.
“Support for a film should not be granted unless the editors, producers, directors and actors sign a declaration of loyalty to the State of Israel, its symbols and its Jewish-democratic values,” he said.
link to jpost.com
“Support for a film should not be granted unless the editors, producers, directors and actors sign a declaration of loyalty to the State of Israel, its symbols and its Jewish-democratic values,”
Because that’s what democratic countries do. They demand an oath of loyalty before they hand over grants to artists; the same artists who normally embody the essence of “free expression”.
Otherwise, where would the politburo be?
You see, in Zionist Israel, the “party” finds YOU.
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