Protest over Israel roils Toronto Film Festival
LA Times / LA Times
16-Sep-2009 (one comment)

Seemingly overnight, a protest group materialized, drafting a letter titled: "The Toronto Declaration -- No Celebration of Occupation." Signed by the usual suspects -- Fonda, Belafonte and Chomsky, along with such well-known artists as David Byrne, Julie Christie, Viggo Mortensen, Wallace Shawn and British director Ken Loach -- it claimed that the festival, "whether intentionally or not, has become complicit in the Israeli propaganda machine."

The protests, of course, have been met by counterprotests. Simon Wiesenthal Center founder Marvin Hier has weighed in, telling a hastily arranged news conference that "Tel Aviv is one of the freest cities in the world, warts and all: a model city of diversity, freedom of expression and tolerance, for Arabs and Jews." He added: "It is the height of hypocrisy to single out Tel Aviv. These protesters cannot masquerade their hatred toward Israel."

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Mola Nasredeen

Good News Shahgholam

by Mola Nasredeen on Wed Sep 16, 2009 01:49 PM PDT

More and more people around the world are opening their eyes to crimes of racist Israel, even Jane Fonda has signed the protest letter. Israel is the main problem for World peace.

Greyson, Canadian documentary filmmaker, withdrew his documentary short "Covered" from the festival to protest the fest's showcase of Israeli filmmaking. "Greyson views that as a travesty, especially at a time when much of the world has been vocal in its opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and a Gaza massacre that resulted in a large number of civilian deaths."


 


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