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February 2010

Mohammad Bakri

2010 Platinum Bear for Free Speech

Filmmaker and Actor, Mohammad Bakri

Presented by the official friends of the 60th Berlinale

Download PDF here.

This past month, the State of Israel has attempted to silence Mohammad Bakri, one of our cinema’s greatest actors and documentary filmmakers, an essential figure of both Israeli and Palestinian cinema. In protest, a group of past Berlinale award winners, participants, and comrades have nominated Mr. Bakri for the 1st Annual 2010 Free Speech Bear Award. On February 19th, a screening of Mr. Bakri’s new film, Zohara,will be followed by a presentation of the award to Mr. Bakri –and a toast to free speech.

Seven years ago, after the invasion of the Israeli army into the refugee camp in Jenin, West Bank, Mohammad Bakri shot his film, Jenin Jenin. He was sued for defamation in Israeli court by several soldiers who were part of the invasion. He was censored by the Israeli censorship board for two years and, during the last seven years, has spent a great deal of time and money defending himself and the film. After Bakri won the legal suits, the soldiers decided to take the case to the Supreme Court. Recently, the State of Israel,in an unprecedented act, has decided to join the soldiers in their civil suit against Bakri.

In the eyes of the Israeli government, Mr. Bakri’s sin is his daring tobe both a member of the Palestinian people and a peace activist critical of Israel’s brutal occupation. His film Jenin Jenin, a passionate documentary about Israel’s military actions in Jenin, is only oneof many sources of evidence that Israel committed war crimes there in 2002. Detailed reports on this issue have been published by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and Israeli soldiers who served in Jenin have publicly boasted of committing acts which amount to war crimes.

This McCarthyite attempt to silence Mr. Bakri takes place against a backdrop of an urgent humanitarian crisis:the ongoing siege and imprisonment of 1.5 million human beings in a small enclave called Gaza. As long as Israel refuses to investigate its own crimes we can only salute a brave man like Mohammad Bakri who took his camera and tried to reveal the truth of what happened. And indeed, he revealed some terrible truths, but mostly he captured the trauma of witnesses and victims-a trauma that left Mr. Bakri’s soul wounded forever.

In the face of this new attempt to silence, criminalize and bankrupt Mr. Bakri, and in protest against the ongoing brutality of the occupation, we have come together to spontaneously nominate Mohammad Bakri as our 2010 Filmmaker of Free Speech, and pay due respect to his art and to Palestinian filmmaking. By this act, we are saying No! to cynical attempts by governments to silence great artists through dubious legal means… And saying Yes! to dialogue, free speech, and a lasting peace.

Signed by

The spectre of Jean Genet
A Prisoner of Love


Hany Abu-Assad, Paradise Now, Berlinale Competition 2005, Golden Globe 2006

Udi Aloni*, Forgiveness, Berlinale Panorama 2006, Woodstock Audience Award 2006

Saleh Bakri (actor), The Time That Remains, Cannes 2009

Simone Bitton, Rachel, Berlinale Forum 2009

Scandar Copti, Ajami, Oscar nominee, 2010

Elle Flanders*, Zero Degrees of Separation, Berlinale Forum, 2006

John Greyson*, Fig Trees, Berlinale Teddy Award 2009

Annemarie Jacir, Salt of The Sea, Cannes 2008

Sarah Kamens, Kashmir Journey to Freedom, Berlinale Panorama Opening Doc-night, 2009

Eran Kolirin, The Band’s Visit, Cannes Prize un certain regard 2007

Guy Maddin, My Winnipeg, TIFF best Candian film 2008

Juliano Merr-Khamis, Arna’s Children, Best Documentary, TriBeCa Film Festival 2006

Oren Moverman, The Messenger, Berlinale Silver Bear 2009, Oscar nominee 2010

Eyal Sivan, The Specialist, Berlinale Official Selection special 1999, The Grimme Award 1999

Kobi Snitz (Protagonist), Budrus, Panorama 2010

Yousef Sweid (actor), The Bubble, Berlinale Panorama 2007

Yael Hersonski, A Film Unfinished, Berlinale Panorama 2010, Sundance Festival, World Cinema Documentary Editing Award 2010

The Yes Men*, The Yes Men Fix The World, Berlinale Panorama, Audience Award 2009

A petition

Mohammad Bakri, a Palestinian citizen of Israel and one of the country’s most prominent actors and directors, has been fighting for his democratic right to free expression since 2002 when he made the world-famous film Jenin Jenin. Shortly after the Israeli military attacked a refugee camp in Jenin, banning reporters and human rights observers, Bakri snuck in and interviewed survivors.

The government of Israel censored his film for 2 years, and in a remarkable move, recently joined a group of Israeli soldiers in an ongoing lawsuit against him for defamation on the grounds that some of the claims made by individuals in the film were not substantiated.

This ongoing harassment prompted a group of prominent filmmakers including The Yes Men and Ajami co-director Scandar Copti to call for the nomination of Bakri for a prize they are calling the first Free Speech Bear Award. These filmmakers will give Bakri the award in just a few days on February 19 at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival to call attention to his fight for free expression.

They’ve asked for your support! Please add your name now to the petition supporting the nomination of Bakri. Below is the full text of the nomination letter.

In gratitude,

Cecilie Surasky
Jewish Voice for Peace

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Big Brother Erdogan

Erdogan
By Sami Moubayed* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz
After the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in Ankara, many in the West referred to a new Turkish foreign policy called “neo-Ottomanism”, suggesting a revival of the intellectual, political and social influence of the Ottoman Empire, which departed the scene 92 years ago.

That policy was attributed to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his advisor, now foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu. Quickly, however, the term “Ottomanism” began to fade, given that it was difficult to market in countries formerly controlled by the Ottoman Empire, due to continued indoctrination against Ottomanism by the Arabs over nince decades.

Some, however, continued to stand by the term, including Cuneyt Zapsu, an advisor to the Turkish prime minister, who said: “A new, positive role for Turkey in the world requires a reconciliation with its own past, the overcoming of societal taboos, and a positive new concept of Turkish identity. We are the Ottomans’ successors and should not be ashamed of this.”

read on

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Zionism: The Real Enemy Of The Jews

see full series here

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Dreyfus, The Protocols and Goldstone by Gilad Atzmon

DateSaturday, February 13, 201

Alan Dershowitz on Judge Goldstone: “But now I see him as a traitor… It’s as if they would have taken a Jew to edit the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. He uses his Jewish last name to kosher his slander of the Jewish People.”

For those who still cannot make their minds up about Jewish nationalism and the Zionist violent abuse of Western academic culture (tolerance, academic freedom, pluralism etc) Rabbi Shmully Hecht of Yale’s University Jewish society, gives an exemplary opportunity to see it all.

read on

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For St Valentine

Forget the roses, all the ones labelled HOLLAND come from Israel. Why Holland, and not their true origin ?

see article here in the French

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Palestinians dressed as the Na’vi from the film Avatar stage a protest against Israel’s separation barrier

Date: 12/02/2010

The village of Bilin reenacted James Cameron’s new film Avatar during todays weekly demonstration. Five Palestinian, Israeli and international activists were painted blue, with pointy ears and tales, resembling the Avatar characters. Like Palestinians, the Avatars fight imperialism, although the colonizers have different origins. The Avatars presence in Bilin today symbolizes the united resistance to imperialism of all kinds.

Todays non-violent demonstration was again met with excessive violence by the Israeli army. Sound bombs and tear gas were used, leaving four people directly injured by the canisters. The canisters were shot directly at the protesters, which is in violation with the IDFs firing regulations. Many other activists suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Before coming to Bilin, Israeli activists reported that police were present at their carpool meeting point. Their IDs were checked and some cars reported they were followed by the police. At the Rantis checkpoint, they were delayed once more and activists were obliged to continue their journey by taxi.

Bilin has reason to celebrate this week. Yesterday, preparations for the construction of the new Wall began, which returns 30 per cent of Bilins land to the village. Iyad Burnat, Head of the Bilin Popular Committee speaks of a victory: We feel relieved and feel the non-violent resistance is successful in its aim. Nevertheless, we will continue our struggle against the occupation as Bilin still has another 30 per cent of land that is confiscated by Israel.

Next week Bilin will have a special demonstration, celebrating five years of non-violent resistance and expects a large number of demonstrators. Bilin calls for all its supporters to invite people to join in next weeks demonstration.
Catégorie : Actualités et politique
Tags :
Bilin Reenacts Avatar Film 12-02-2010 By Haitham Al Katib

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Tanta workers continue sit-in protest downtown

Protesters from the Tanta Flax and Oils Company outside the headquarters of the Cabinet of...

Workers from the Tanta Flax and Oils Company continued their sit-in in front of the headquarters of the Cabinet of Ministers in downtown Cairo yesterday. The protesting workers have not received salaries for January and are calling on Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif to solve their dispute with Saudi investor Abdullah al-Kahki, who closed the company and threatened to dismiss the workers.

The 400 protesters said they submitted a memorandum to the prime minister’s office on Tuesday demanding that they be allowed to enter early retirement in return for financial compensation of no less than LE45,000. The workers from Tanta also demanded the payment of their salaries for January and their share of profits since 2005.


The workers said officials from the cabinet promised to respond within two days, but didn’t propose any preliminary solutions

Two members of parliament have been supportive of their demands, the workers said

Abdel Hadi el-Qasabi, member of the Shura Council for the National Democratic Party, offered to allow 170 workers to enter early retirement, but the workers turned down the offer saying they wanted a plan to include all workers, they said

Youssri Bayoumi, a Muslim Brotherhood member of the People’s Assembly, told the workers he was going to ask People’s Assembly Speaker Fathi Sorour to examine their problem immediately.

The protesters called on President Mubarak and his two sons to intervene, chanting slogans like, “Why is the future bleak? Gamal, what are you going to do?” and “Alaa, tell your father the Tanta workers love him.” Protesters also chanted that Prime Minister Nazif is taking Egypt “back to the [King] Farouk era.”

Translated from the Arabic Edition.

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No to Agrexco

We call all of you, from all parts of France to join the big mobilization against the installation of AGREXCO/Carmel in the port of Sète (South of France, near Montpellier) on Saturday March 6. We will gather in front of the Region headquarters in Montpellier in the morning, to tell the region representatives headed by George Frêche, notoriously racist, and the candidates in these new regional elections that we refuse any collaboration with Israeli war crimes, occupation and colonialism. And then we’ll march to the port of Sète who is 35 km away from Montpellier.

We are organizing buses, trains and cars so that many of you can participte in this important initiative that is also an international one. Please write to tell us if you are prepared to join us.

The BDS campaign is progressing everywhere. We want to congratulate the comrades who led two remarkable actions last week-end : one at the airport of Liege (Belgium) against the import-export of “israeli” goods and war ammunition, and the other at the Brussels Holiday exhibition where 8 activists dressed in El Al hostesses and stewards proposed free tickets to Israel to the public, in order to thank Belgium for its military collaboration with Israel.

This progress in the Boycott campaign explains the threats, slanders and trials we undergo, with the complicity of our governement. Our friend Sakina Arnaud has just been condemned for “discimination” and “provocation to racial hatred” by some judges in Bordeaux for having put a sticker “Israel Apartheid Boycott” on a bottle of “Israeli” orange juice in a Carrefour supermarket. The judges accepted the summing up for the prosecution, which was made by the government itself that had followed the Israeli lobby demands. She was condemned to pay 1000 euros as a fine, and 500 euros to each of the two zionist agencies that were opponent parties, because odf a so-called “discrimination against a nation”.

Sakina Arnaud is appealing against the judgment and we’ll keep supporting her, including financially. We already sent 500 euros that we collected. Thank you for your help. Please send your checks to EuroPalestine, 16 bis rue d’Odessa. 75014 Paris. Please mention “in support of Sakina” at the back of the check.)

Talking about boycott, we call every one to pay attention to flowers next Sunday, which will be Saint Valentine day. Do not offer flowers from the occupation and lie.
The Franco-Israeli Chamber of commerce itself confesses that the thousands of tons of flowers exported by Israel in all Europe on that occasion, are labelled “Made in Holland” after a little detour via the Netherlands.

Don’t forget that many of these flowers come from Israeli settlements on Palestinian confiscated lands; while Palestinian villages are deprived from water, Palestinian houses demolished in many places, and Palestinian workers treated as slaves in places like the Jordan Valley. Without speaking of the Gaza strip that used to export 80 million tons of flowers a year, ten years ago, before the siege and the Israeli massacres last winter. But Israel dared show its “generosity” last year for Saint-Valentine by allowing 25000 flowers to get out of Gaza !

Don’t say “I love you” to any one with these bloody flowers !

Best wishes,

CAPJPO-EuroPalestine

http://www.europalestine.com

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Burning Conscience: Israeli Soldiers Speak Out

A searing interview with Avichai Sharon and Noam Chayut, both veterans of the Israeli Defense Forces and members of Breaking the Silence. Sharon and Chayut served during the second intifada, an on-going bloodbath that has claimed the lives of over three thousand Palestinians and nine-hundred-fifty Israelis. After thorough introspection, these young men have chosen to speak out about their experiences as self-described “brutal occupiers of a disputed land.” Producer: Sat Gwin

Alternate Focus is available on the Dish Network, Free Speech TV, Channel 9415, Saturdays at 8:00pm EST and on cable stations near you. Check http://www.alternatefocus.org for details

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