A film about a Palestinian child selected to represent Israel at the Oscars has triggered fierce backlash from Netanyahu’s government.
The decision by the Israeli Film Academy to select a movie centered on the life of a Palestinian child to represent Israel at the Academy Awards has ignited a political storm and exposed deep tensions between the country’s cultural sector and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Emerged as the top winner at the Ophir Awards, “The Sea,” Israel’s most prestigious film honors and the local equivalent of the Oscars.
Khaled, a 12-year-old Palestinian boy living in the occupied West Bank who dreams of traveling to Tel Aviv to see the sea for the first time.
After being denied entry at an Israeli military checkpoint, the boy secretly crosses into Israel, setting off a journey defined by danger, separation, and childhood resilience.
The selection immediately drew condemnation from Israel’s Minister of Culture, Miki Zohar, who described the Ophir Awards ceremony as “shameful and detached from the feelings of Israeli citizens.”
In a post on X, Zohar threatened to cut government funding for the awards, arguing that public money should not support cultural events that “undermine Israeli soldiers.”
As the winner of Best Film at the Ophir Awards, “The Sea” automatically became Israel’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars next year, further intensifying the controversy.
In addition to Best Film, the movie won several major awards, including Best Actor for 13-year-old Muhammad Gazawi, making him the youngest winner in the history of the Ophir Awards.
Gazawi portrays Khaled, while the film also follows the boy’s father, an undocumented Palestinian worker in Israel, desperately searching for his missing son.
During the ceremony, producer Baher Agbariya defended the film, stating that it focuses on “the fundamental right of every child to live in peace.”
He emphasized that the story is not intended as a political statement, but rather as a human portrayal of childhood under occupation.
The Israeli Academy of Film and Television pushed back strongly against the government’s criticism. Its president, Assaf Amir, said that in the midst of an ongoing war and deep societal division, cinema has the power to offer audiences a chance to “see the other.”
According to Amir, the selection of “The Sea” sends a clear message about artistic freedom and moral responsibility.
That conflict has resulted in massive civilian casualties and intensified pressure on the Netanyahu government from global institutions, filmmakers, and human rights organizations.
In recent months, thousands of film professionals worldwide have signed statements pledging not to collaborate with Israeli cultural institutions they believe are complicit in human rights violations.
Against this backdrop, the choice of “The Sea” has turned Israel’s Oscar submission into a flashpoint, highlighting how cinema, politics, and global opinion are increasingly intertwined on the world stage.
