Israel and U.S. Jewish groups have lobbied organizers of next month’s
Academy Awards not to present a nominated film about Palestinian suicide bombers as coming from “Palestine.”
Many Israelis were irked when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in publishing the nomination, said “Paradise Now” came from “Palestine.”
There were also some obviously unhappy faces at the Golden Globes when “Paradise Now” was announced as a movie from Palestine, and won the award for ‘Best Foreign Language Film’.
They say is that no one, not even the Palestinians themselves, have declared the formal creation of ‘Palestine’ yet, and thus the label would be inaccurate.
Well, declared or not, recognized or not, and whether Israel likes it or not, Palestine exists; It exists through its people, through its beautiful holy land, through our memories, through history, through all our hearts.
And it’s only normal that a movie made by a Palestinian be tagged as coming from Palestine, because that is where he, his movie and its ideas come from.