Call To Boycott The Doc Edge Film Festival – Film As Propaganda

The decision by Doc Edge to retain the Israeli embassy as a financial supporter of the Doc Edge Film Festival means Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is calling on film makers and the general public to boycott the festival.

“It is untenable that this festival would side with the Israeli Embassy against calls for freedom from Palestinians”

“The festival is helping Israel to “art-wash” its crimes against the Palestinian people”

For 17 years Palestinians have been calling for BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) against Israel to pressure it to end its military occupation, repeal its apartheid laws and allow Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. A festival boycott is in support of these aims.

Yesterday the festival Chair Glenn Johnstone issued a statement claiming the festival was “apolitical”.

However being “apolitical” hasn’t stopped Doc Edge from standing in solidarity with Ukraine against a brutal Russian military occupation but it has stopped them standing with Palestinians who live under a brutal Israeli military occupation.

Perhaps it’s the eye-colour of the victims which makes the difference for Doc Edge.

“Dead Sea Guardians” – Film as propaganda

Israel has an international programme of propaganda to gain “legitimacy” and “normalise” its brutal oppression of Palestinians. Doc Edge has become part of this propaganda drive.

“Dead-Sea Guardians” – the film the Israeli Embassy is sponsoring in the Doc Edge festival – claims to centre on a swim across the Dead Sea “from Jordan to Israel” but in fact is a swim “from Jordan to the Occupied Palestinian Territories”. (Kalia Beach where the swim ends is in the Occupied West Bank – part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories)

The Occupied Palestinian Territories were to be part of a Palestinian state but Israel has prevented this by building hundreds of illegal Jewish-only settlements across the area and brought in 600,000 Israeli settlers. Now they claim it is part of Israel.

The Aotearoa New Zealand government, and the entire international community, do not support Israeli claims to the Occupied West Bank but Doc Edge, who say they selected the film for the festival, is happy to promote the crude propaganda lie that this is part of Israel.

This is an added reason to boycott the festival.

We have pointed this out to Festival Patron and former Prime Minister Helen Clark who knows this issue backwards. We expect her to take action.

PSNA is putting out a call today for film producers to withdraw their films and the public to turn their back on this festival.

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