O, Palestine! O, Israel! O, Humanity!

My paternal grandmother, may she rest in peace, was forced to leave her ancestral home, in Palestine, at gunpoint.

So, it’s especially meaningful for me to see Farha on Netflix. Directed by Darin J. Sallam, it is an intimate account of the ongoing tragedy & moral crisis that is Palestine

Over 700,000 Palestinians displaced, thousands massacred, hundreds of villages ethnically cleansed in 1948.

Such violence is not mere politics, but affects us all as members of the human family. It is distressing to see the campaign of hate/ harassment directed at this film, from Israel, for depicting their crimes against humanity, and attempting to silence Palestinians.

“Following its release on Netflix on December 1, the film has been the target of an Israeli government-led campaign to keep it off screens in Israel and a public campaign to boycott the platform if it does not remove the title from its offering.”

https://apple.news/AXFGT8Kh3QpORlAhveZExWA

Statement by Farha’s Film
Team:

“These attempts to silence our voices as Semite/Arabs and as women filmmakers to dehumanize us and prevent us from telling our stories, our narrative and our truth are against any freedom of speech.

We are overwhelmed by the amount of support the film is receiving globally and are grateful to everyone who is doing their part to stand up against this attack and ensure the film is spoken about and seen.

All the campaigning against Farha will not deter us from our goal which is to share the film and the story it tells with audiences worldwide. The film exists, we exist, and we will not be silenced.”

I appreciate that Netflix is not backing down/giving in to intimidation & allowing this important, historical story to be told.

Truth is power & that is why Israel wants to seize the narrative and occupy our minds with their version of events.

This film dramatizes the tragedy of 1948, from the point of view of a 14 year old girl.

The pity and horror of it all is that, 74 years later, Palestinians are still being terrorized and imprisoned in their own homes.

It pains me to no end that the USA, where I live, continues to fund these atrocities & refer to Israel as their ‘unshakable ally’.

Why? I do not dare to answer…

The only good answer that I can come up with is that people identify with those who look like them, superficial as that might sound, even if they are monsters.

And to think, even the great hero of the hour, Zelensky, can only find it in his heart to feel pity for the plight of Israel/is

Ah, humanity!

I only hop that this simple human story portrayed in the film will break hearts open.

Watch Farha for yourself and make up your own mind 🙏🏼✨

The past is never dead. It’s not even past.

— William Faulkner