Culture minister says Oscar-nominated Israeli films ‘amplify our enemies’ narrative’
Academy Award nods for ‘Butcher’s Stain’ and ‘Children No More: Were and Are Gone’ shows need to ensure Israel doesn’t fund films that harm country’s reputation, says Miki Zohar
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Culture Minister Miki Zohar said the two Israeli films that were nominated for an Oscar on Thursday “amplify our enemies’ narrative” by depicting the country as racist against Arabs and guilty of killing children in Gaza.
“Act surprised,” wrote Zohar on X. “The two Israeli films that are nominated for an Oscar are against Israel.”
“That’s precisely why the cinema reform that I’m leading is so important,” he added, referring to his efforts to penalize the perceived left-leaning tilt of Israel’s film industry, including by slashing government funds and canceling awards ceremonies.
The two Israeli films that received the nod for the Academy Awards on Thursday are “Butcher’s Stain,” which was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film, and “Children No More: Were and Are Gone,” which was nominated for Best Documentary Short Film.
“Butcher’s Stain,” created by Meyer Levinson-Blount while at Tel Aviv University’s film school, follows Samir, an Arab butcher in Tel Aviv, who sets out to prove his innocence after he’s accused of removing posters of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
“Children No More,” directed by award-winning filmmaker Hilla Medalia, follows a weekly silent vigil that began in Tel Aviv in March 2025 for Gaza children killed by Israel amid the war sparked by the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023.
“Unsurprisingly, the two Oscar-nominated films amplify our enemies’ narrative and harm the State of Israel’s reputation,” said Zohar in a statement. “One film depicts Israel as ‘massacring Gaza children,’ and the other film depicts Israel as racist toward Arab citizens.”
Touting his cinema reforms, Zohar said popularity with the Israeli public should be the benchmark for whether a film should receive state funds, not “nominations for international festivals and awards.”
Israelis should not have to “pay from their pockets for films that harm Israel’s reputation,” he added.
Among other actions, Zohar has scrapped a series of Israeli arts awards that he claims are biased in favor of the political left. The actions have been met with protests from Israeli artists and organizations who accuse the government of censorship.
The Times of Israel Community.