Exactly a year ago, I wrote a column about how the Academy Awards had lost all sense of what is ethical, as those in attendance cheered for Hamas and Palestine a mere five months after the horrors of October 7. One would think that the members of the Academy would have a different attitude this year, given how we have been seeing more and more Jew hatred across the country and the world; the constant and continual attacks on Israel, the one Democratic nation in the region; and especially the depravity of Hamas as they paraded tortured hostage victims and caskets, culminating in not only the deaths of the Bibas babies, but the degradation of their mother’s body.
But the arrogance and ignorance of the members of the entertainment industry truly seem to know no limits. Sunday night’s show was again not only boring, but filled with hatred towards Israel and support for the mythical nation of “palestine.” Again the irony of their ignorance was on display, as any of the Islamic nations that embrace Sharia law (a goal of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority) would not only prohibit these actors from practicing their craft, but would actually stone or behead them for their chosen work.
“No Other Land,” a film calling itself a documentary that is in actuality pure fiction, won best documentary. Produced by “a collective group of Israeli and Palestinian activists,” the film is on a level of propaganda that has not been seen since Leni Riefenstahl made films at the direction of Adolf Hitler to affect international audiences. "No Other Land" is so fictional that it could not even get U.S. distribution (although it surely will now that it has won an Oscar), and it has been exposed as extremist Islamic propaganda since being first shown over a year ago in Berlin.
Israel’s Culture Minister Miki Zohar called the film’s win a “sad moment for cinema,” due to the “distorted” view it offered, and called it an act of “sabotage” against Israel, which is still reeling from the single worst attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. “Freedom of expression is an important value but turning the defamation of Israel into a tool for international promotion is not art," Zohar said. "It is sabotage against the State of Israel, especially in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre and ongoing war.” Meir Deutsch, director-general of the liberal Israeli NGO Regavim, said, “This is a propaganda film that serves the false Palestinian narrative, and seeks to undermine the legitimacy of the State of Israel in the international arena in order to cause boycotts and sanctions of IDF fighters.”
In addition to making a film that supports the actions of terrorists, the filmmakers demonstrated who they really are in accepting the award. Receiving a standing ovation from the audience, they went on to make political statements. They talked about the evils of the Israeli “occupation” and the evil “regime,” while condemning the United States for “blocking” the path to peace. Oblivious to the honest political realities, the filmmakers, accompanied by cheers from the audience, proceeded to act as if what happened on October 7 is the fault of Israel and the United States. But they truly showed their lack of moral fiber and character not only in what they said, but in what they avoided saying.
The Arab producer, Basel Adra, unabashedly condemned Israel. He used his acceptance speech to draw cheers from the crowd as he preached about the mythical enslavement of his people, while ignoring the terrorism of not only October 7 but of the last 50 years and acting as if Hamas and pro-palestinian supporters simply want peace with their neighbors. His partner, leftist Israeli activist Yuval Abraham, spent his time castigating the United States and preaching the myth that if only Basel’s family were treated better, there would be peace. But in their condemnation of Israel and the United States, they both failed to mention Hayim Katsman.
Katsman was an American peace activist who moved to Israel and was apparently a dear friend of Abraham's. Reports on social media claim that Katsman even worked on "No Other Land" in its early development. Katsman, 32, may his memory be a blessing, was brutally killed on October 7 in Kibbutz Holit. Katsman’s bullet-ridden body saved three other lives on that horrific day. But despite his values being the same as the filmmakers’, and in contradiction to his actions on that bloody day, Abraham and Adra did not even mention him or any of the other victims, let alone honor him in any way. They demonstrated their hypocrisy about true evil being perpetrated upon other human beings, even a personal friend of theirs.
Selfish, narcissistic, and despicable. But hey, that's the Oscars.
Oscar nominee Guy Pearce, who was nominated for his performance in a film about a Holocaust survivor, demonstrated his audacity and ignorance by wearing a button that said “Free Palestine.” The irony of his ignorance is astounding. If he lived under the Sharia law that Hamas and the Palestinian Authority seek, he would be executed for a number of crimes: sex scenes with women; nudity; and playing a drag queen ( for which he would be brutally tortured and castrated prior to being executed) named Felicia Jollygoodfellow in "The Adventures of Priscilla, the Queen of the Desert." Based upon his jewelry, he not only supports the evils of Hamas, but would support even his own torture and death.
Oblivious, ignorant, and hypocritical. But hey, that’s the Oscars.
The list of attendees and nominees who espouse political views that are antithetical to freedom, liberty, the United States, and Israel while supporting the evils of Hamas and Iran is too large to mention in a single article. But there was also a glimmer of hope.
In a year when anti-Semitism has increased exponentially, this was only the third time in Oscar history that the winner of both Best Actor and Best Actress were Jewish, and the first time since 1987. But while the winner for Best Actor, Adrien Brody, who won for a film about the Holocaust, used his time to thank God and his family, express his gratitude, and condemn anti-Semitism, the young winner of Best Actress, Mikey Madison, seemed to have forgotten the values that she was raised with. Brody spoke extemporaneously, whereas Madison read off a pre-written speech. I am sure that she was more excited than she could ever have imagined, but she lost the opportunity to combat the hatred against her own family and people by countering the statements of the earlier “documentary” filmmakers. In a certain way, her lack of spiritual consciousness really isn't her fault as she has described herself as a “proud non-practicing Jew”. So it comes as no surprise that she forgot to counter the propaganda of the earlier winners by making a comment supporting Israel. We can all only hope that this very talented young woman, as she grows older and matures into her own spirituality, chooses to express her pride publicly and uses her position as an influencer to support Israel and hopefully bring peace into this world. (Perhaps she can even get that bat mitzvah that she says she always desired; we would be happy to prepare her.)
But if Ms. Madison was quiet, the rest of the Jews in Hollywood have been noticeably silent, with few exceptions. I spoke about this with Charlie Kirk a year ago: how, despite the fact that there are many Jews in the entertainment industry, the majority of them are silent about the evils of Hamas and supporting Israel. Adam Sandler performed as part of the opening monologue for the Oscars, but has been totally quiet on what is going on with Hamas and the horrors that have been inflicted upon Israel. Jesse Eisenberg won accolades for his film "A Real Pain." Although it is a film about cousins visiting Poland and learning more about their Jewish roots, Eisenberg has never said a word about the horrors that have been inflicted upon Israel for the last 17 months, and has even consciously steered conversations away from talking about anti-Semitism. Scarlett Johansson avoided publicly talking about the last 17 months and Jew hatred, until she secomplained about an AI fake of herlf condemning the anti-Semitism of Kanye West. Rather than risking the ire of West, she ignored his anti-Semitic rants and selling of swastika-covered merchandise in favor of complaining about artificial intelligence.
Cowards, morally vacuous, self-hating Jews. But hey, that’s the Oscars.
By 1978, with Lynn Redgrave’s obnoxious speech about terrorists’ rights, what was once a spectacular evening filled with entertainment celebrating the unique art of filmmaking had become a night for ignorant artists to act as if they had wisdom or clarity. The evening became one of self-indulgence, filled with the fragile egos of actors congratulating themselves for doing their job (and making a LOT of money doing it). It reached an extreme with last year's demonstrations in favor of Hamas by nominees and attendees alike in absolute obliviousness to the horrors that occurred on October 7. And this year, we have again seen the true heart of the film industry: a heart of self-indulgence and denial about the evil that is all around us, and especially in the Middle East through the actions of Iran and its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah.
Maybe we just shouldn’t expect anything better from people who make their living creating fantasies… and all too often believing that their fantasies are truth.
But hey, it’s just the Oscars.
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