Israel's version of the Oscars took place Tuesday and has sparked a political firestorm after a drama about a Palestinian boy took the best film award. Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar on Wednesday criticized the Ophir Awards ceremony as a "shameful" event that "spits on heroic IDF soldiers"—a reference to his country's army. The winning film, Shai Carmeli-Pollak's The Sea, tells the story of a Palestinian child who slips into Israel while on a quest to see the sea for the first time, prompting a search by his father. The New York Times reports the film portrays Israeli soldiers in an unflattering light.
In a post on X, Zohar called it a "great absurdity, that Israeli citizens are still paying out of their pockets for the disgraceful Ophir Awards ceremony, which represents less than one percent of the Israeli people." As such, "I [have] decided to stop the funding of the ceremony from the money of Israeli citizens." The BBC notes it's unclear whether he has the authority to do so. The film's win means it will automatically be Israel's entry for the Oscars' best international feature category. Actor Muhammad Gazawi received the best actor award for his role as the boy—the youngest actor to ever win—calling in his speech for a world where children can "live and dream without wars."
The Times of Israel reports the film took a number of additional honors, including Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Original Score. Assaf Amir, chairman of the Israeli Film and Television Academy, said he was "proud that an Arabic-language film, born out of collaboration between Jewish and Palestinian Israelis, has been chosen to represent Israel in the Oscar competition."
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