At a time when vast majority of world people, except a few far-right neo-fascist forces, are united against the Zionist “holocaust” being committed on the Palestinians, it is despicable on the part of NFDC to host an Israeli Filim Festival in Mumbai on 21-22 August 2024.
As is obvious, films critical of Israeli treatment of Palestinians are very rare now-a-days. Today, Israeli film industry funded and supported by the Zionist regime is also a fascist tool propagating and glorifying Jewish/Israeli culture on the one hand, and justifying Israeli assault on Palestinians on the other. According to many well-meaning cultural activists, Zionist regime that co-sponsors Israeli film exhibitions in other countries, is engaged in “art-washing strategy” and is using “culture to whitewash and cover up its crimes against the Palestinian people”.
However, in view of the ongoing genocide of Palestinians by Zionists with the backing of US and EU imperialists, and as global public opinion is against the Zionist regime, many govts have stopped encouraging the display of Israeli films in their countries. Recently, UK witnessed strong protests against organising Israeli films there, while amid boycott call from vast sections of people, the screening of Israeli films in Barcelona, Spain was cancelled.
Now, children, women and patients constitute 70 percent of the victims in Gaza genocide alone, and Zionist torture, rape and murder of prisoners in concentration camps along with murder of artists, writers, doctors, teachers, professors, journalists and health-workers has become routine. Destruction of civilian infrastructure, which include residential buildings, schools, universities, hospitals, health clinics, electricity and water supply continues without any let up. UN Human Rights Council, International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court and many Civil Society Organisations have already condemned Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In this context, Israeli film festival is held only in countries ruled by far-right neo-fascist regimes, that too amid people’s simmering discontent. Hence, NFDC showcasing Israeli films is a reflection of Modi regime’s unholy nexus with the neo-fascist Netanyahu govt. By patronising Zionist films at this juncture, the fascist Indian regime once again declares that it is in the company of neo-fascist Islamophobic regimes especially in Europe and in the Americas. It is a manifestation of the unholy Zionist-Saffron nexus whose common denominator is Islamophobia.
In this context, it is up to all well-meaning people and all democratic forces to protest against this heinous move on the part of NFDC to organise the Israeli film festival on 21-22 August in Mumbai. Taking into account the growing public opinion against screening of Zionist films in India, the Modi govt should abandon this heinous move at the earliest.
P J James
General Secretary
CPI (ML) Red Star
New Delhi
20th August 2024
