The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued an apology after receiving criticism from its members for not showing support for Oscar-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal, who was recently detained by Israeli settlers. Nearly 700 voting members, including well-known actors, signed a letter questioning the academy’s failure to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and his film.

Ballal is one of the co-directors of the documentary No Other Land, which won an Academy Award earlier this month. He reported being attacked by Israeli settlers before his detention by Israeli military forces, though he was later released.

The academy’s initial response to the incident did not directly address Mr. Ballal, leading to backlash from Hollywood. The letter written by the academy members highlighted the irony of recognizing a film with an award and then not standing up for its creators in the face of persecution.

The letter underscored the difficulty of winning an Oscar and the significance of the achievement, especially since No Other Land did not benefit from expensive campaign efforts typically necessary for such recognition. It also condemned the targeting of Ballal as an assault on the freedom of speech and the ability of artists to shed light on uncomfortable truths.

In its Friday statement, the Academy acknowledged the oversight and apologized to Mr. Ballal and all artists who felt unsupported, reiterating its condemnation of any kind of violence and suppression of free speech.

The documentary No Other Land, which won Best Documentary at the 97th Academy Awards, explores the conflict over Masafer Yatta, a community of about 20 villages, and the relationship between Adra and Abraham.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgj5jn04gd2o