Filmmaker Suha Arraf responds to Israeli incitement campaign against identifying her film as Palestinian

Adalah: "Suha Arraf is a Palestinian woman, citizen of Israel and the director and she is entitled to choose the identity of her film."

In a letter coordinated through Adalah on 18 August 2014, Ms. Suha Arraf, a film director and Palestinian woman, citizen of Israel, issued a response to Israeli foundations and government agencies that are demanding that she return the funding she received for the production of her first feature film, 'Villa Touma', because she categorized it as a "Palestinian film". Ms. Arraf has been the target of a harsh campaign of incitement and harassment in Israel as a result of her decision.

The Israeli Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Culture, the National Lottery and the Israel Film Fund considered Ms. Arraf's categorization of her film as "Palestinian" to be a breach of terms of the financial support granted to the film, and demanded that she return the full funding that was granted to her. The film will be released later this month at the Venice International Film Festival.

Through Adalah, Ms. Arraf responded to these attacks stressing that she has the right to define the film as a Palestinian film, and that this does not breach any funding agreements. Her only commitment to the funding parties was that her film be produced by an Israeli or include an Israeli participant. Arraf stated that she had complied with these terms, as she is the producer of the film and holds Israeli citizenship and an Israeli passport.

Adalah's letter stated that: "Arraf did not agree to assign a specific identity to the film, and the contract does not state that the film should be labeled as Israeli. The labeling of the film as Palestinian does not mean that the film was produced by the Palestinian Authority or the 'State of Palestine,' and therefore identifying the film as Palestinian does not contradict the fact that the director of the film is a citizen of Israel."

Adalah concluded that, "Director Suha Arraf is a Palestinian Arab filmmaker and is a citizen of Israel. She is entitled to choose to express her national affiliation through identifying her film as Palestinian, especially since she wrote, directed and produced the film."

Read Suha Arraf's op-ed in Haaretz, "I am an Arab, Palestinian and citizen of Israel – I have the right to define my own identity", 24 August 2014