A joint Israeli-Palestinian team that produced a film chronicling the eviction of Palestinians from their homes in the occupied West Bank delivered a passionate speech at the Oscars Sunday night, calling out injustices faced by Palestinians after winning the award for best documentary.
“No Other Land” tells the story of the continued demolition by Israeli authorities of Masafer Yatta, a collection of villages in the Hebron mountains of the West Bank where Basel Adra, one of the directors, lives with his family.
The documentary follows the Israeli government’s attempt to evict the villagers by force, having claimed the land for a military training facility and firing range in 1981. Viewers witness the destruction of the local playground, the killing of Adra’s brother by Israeli soldiers, and other attacks by Jewish settlers as the community struggles to survive.
The film also highlights the human connection between Adra and the film’s other creator, Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham.
While filming for “No Other Land” concluded before Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023, which triggered Israel’s war in Gaza, the documentary’s themes are particularly relevant amid heightened conflict in the Middle East.
Palestinians in the West Bank have faced evictions and encroachment by Jewish settlers for decades.
Hours before the film’s Oscar win, residents of the West Bank area depicted in the documentary were attacked by Israeli settlers accompanied by Israeli forces, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Israeli soldiers detained three people in the area, and settlers attacked residents of the village of Khirbet Asfi in Masafer Yatta, throwing stones, destroying solar panels, and damaging water tanks, Wafa reported, citing Jihad Nawajaa, head of the Susiya village council.
‘Harsh Reality’
Israel has ramped up its military campaign in the West Bank, displacing roughly 40,000 Palestinians since late January, according to the United Nations, with Israel’s defense minister promising to occupy large areas for the remainder of the year.
The Israeli military says it is targeting Palestinian militant groups in the West Bank who have mounted attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. But Palestinians and human rights groups say the expanded assault is increasingly indiscriminate, killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure in a manner consistent with collective punishment.
The filmmakers used their acceptance speeches to highlight the effects of Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Adra said the film “reflects the harsh reality that we have been suffering for decades, a reality that continues until today, and we call on the world to take concrete steps to end this injustice.”
Abraham called for an end to the “terrible destruction of Gaza” and the release of Israeli hostages.
“We created this film together, Palestinians and
