Jewish organizations rally behind Oscar-winning director Jonathan Glazer following his criticism of Israel’s Gaza offensive in speech | Global News
Jewish groups have come to the defense of Oscar-winning director Jonathan Glazer, who used his acceptance speech to criticize Israeli military action in Gaza.
While receiving the Academy Award for best international film for the Holocaust movie The Zone Of Interest, Glazer condemned the “Jewishness being hijacked by an occupation.”
Speaking at the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, Glazer said, “All our choices were made to reflect and challenge us in the present, not to say look what they did then, but rather look what we do now. Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst.”
The British filmmaker, known for directing Sexy Beast, also expressed that “we stand here as individuals who reject the hijacking of our Jewishness and the Holocaust by an occupation that has resulted in conflict for many innocent people… whether the victims of 7 October in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza.”
Although his speech received applause at the time, it was quickly criticized by groups such as the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and by hundreds of prominent Jewish figures in Hollywood who signed an open letter denouncing his words.
The letter states: “We reject the hijacking of our Jewishness to draw a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination.”
Danny Cohen, executive producer of The Zone Of Interest, stated his disagreement with Glazer’s comments, and the ADL labeled his speech as an “apology for terrorism.”
However, other progressive Jewish groups, including the Auschwitz Memorial and Jewish Voice for Peace, have defended the 58-year-old London-born filmmaker.
James Wilson, from left, Leonard Blavatnik, and Jonathan Glazer accept the Academy Award for The Zone Of Interest. Pic: AP
Read more:
Sound in film: The invisible art you just can’t cheat
Al Pacino explains abrupt Best Picture announcement
Vanessa Hudgens reveals pregnancy on Oscars red
Dr Piotr Cywinski, director of the Auschwitz Memorial, stated: “In his Oscar acceptance speech, Jonathan Glazer issued a universal moral warning against dehumanization. His aim was not to delve into political discourse.
“Critics expecting a clear political stance or a film solely about genocide missed the essence of his message. The Zone Of Interest is not just a film about the Holocaust. It is primarily a profound warning about humanity and its nature.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Oscars 2024 highlights: Key moments
Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist left-wing Jewish activist organization in the US that supports boycotting Israeli products, stood in solidarity with Glazer.
In a statement on Tuesday, the group stated: “Those attacking Glazer are proving his point. He aims to apply the lessons of the Holocaust to the horrors of the present, while his critics want nothing more than to divert attention from the Israeli government’s genocide of Palestinians.
“In reality, Glazer represents the large and growing number of Jews who honor our histories by joining our Palestinian brothers and sisters in their fight for freedom and justice.”
