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Israel’s Culture Minister, Miki Zohar, stated that taxpayer money for the national film awards is set to be canceled after the film “The Sea,” depicting the story of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, won the best feature award.

Minister’s Announcement on X

On his account on social media, Zohar said, “Nothing represents a greater slap in the face to the people of Israel than the embarrassing and detached Ophir awards ceremony.” He added, “Starting with the 2026 budget, this disgraceful ceremony will no longer be supported by public funds. Under my watch, taxpayers won’t finance a ceremony that shows disrespect of our brave troops.”

Details of the Award-Winning Movie “The Sea”

“The Sea,” automatically qualifying as Israel’s entry for the Oscar category, was directed and written by Shai Carmeli-Pollak. It stars a young actor as a Palestinian boy who goes on a field trip to the city to visit the seaside for the first time but is denied entry at the checkpoint and begins a risky quest to enter the country. The young actor, aged 13, received the Ophir for best actor, while co-star Khalifa Natour was awarded best supporting actor. These prizes are voted on by the academy of the national film academy.

Legal Questions Regarding Minister’s Decision

It is unclear whether Zohar has the authority to follow through with his announcement: reports indicate that The Association for Civil Rights in Israel is investigating whether the ministry has the power to withdraw financial support from the awards.

Zohar’s Previous Statements Toward Israeli Cinema

The culture minister had earlier clashed with the country’s cinema community. In February, he introduced a bill to reform public support for movies, directing state funds toward commercially successful productions. He also referred to the award-winning film “No Other Land” as “an act of sabotage against the state of Israel.”

Responses from Filmmakers

At the ceremony, the Palestinian producer of “The Sea” accepted the award with a message for equality and tolerance. He stated, “This film was born from love for people and cinema, and its theme is clear – the right of all children to live and dream in peace, without siege, fearlessness, and without war.” Demonstrations opposing the war in Gaza were noticeable at the ceremony, with participants wearing shirts with slogans like “a child is a child” and “end the war.”

The producer also expressed gratitude to the Israel Film Fund for supporting the film.

Veteran director Uri Barbash, famous for the 1984 film “Beyond the Walls,” was granted a career honor and used his speech to call for an cessation to the war. He said, “It is our moral obligation to bring back every hostage to the bosom of their families, and without delay, to end the damned war and change the ‘divide and rule’ system that is harming Israeli society.”

Reacting to Zohar’s announcement, Assaf Amir of the film academy said, “In the face of the Israeli government’s attacks on Israeli cinema and arts, and the calls from some segments of the international film community to shun us, the selection of ‘The Sea’ is a strong and resounding answer.”

Global Boycott Efforts and Film Community Reactions

This controversy follows a pledge endorsed by more than 3,000 global film industry professionals to boycott Israel's cinematic organizations that they say are “implicated in atrocities and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” High-profile stars and filmmakers such as Olivia Colman, Javier Bardem, Riz Ahmed, and Emma Stone added their names to the letter.

Spokespeople of the local cinema community described the movement “deeply troubling.” The chairman of the writers’ association stated, “In the past, we have collaborated with Palestinian colleagues on movies, TV shows, and documentaries that seek to promote conversation, empathy, peace and an halt to violence… Such actions do not help the goal of reconciliation. Instead, they hurt precisely those who are committed to building communication and building bridges among communities.”

Major film company Paramount additionally issued a comment opposing the initiative, saying, “We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers. Silencing individual artists based on their nationality hinders better understanding or advance the cause of peace.”