Israel Threatens National Film Awards After Palestinian Story Wins Top Prize

Israel’s Culture Minister Miki Zohar has announced plans to withdraw government funding for the country’s national film awards, the Ophir Awards, following the victory of “The Sea,” an anti-war drama about a 12-year-old Palestinian boy’s quest to see the sea in Tel Aviv. The film won Best Picture at the Ophir Awards ceremony held in Tel Aviv on September 16, 2025, often considered Israel’s equivalent of the Oscars.

“The Sea,” directed and written by Shai Carmeli-Pollak, centers on a Palestinian boy named Khaled, played by 13-year-old Mohammed Gazaoui. Khaled’s school bus is stopped at an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) checkpoint during a class trip to Tel Aviv; barred from entering, he secretly crosses the border to reach the sea for the first time. The story also follows Khaled’s father, an undocumented worker in Israel, who searches for him at great personal risk. The film received numerous accolades including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actor for Gazaoui—the youngest ever to receive this honor—and Best Supporting Actor for Khalifa Natour, who plays Khaled’s father.

Zohar expressed outrage after the awards, calling the ceremony “embarrassing” and described the winning film as a “slap in the face” to Israeli citizens. He tweeted, “There is no greater slap in the face of Israeli citizens than the embarrassing and detached annual Ophir Awards ceremony.” He criticized the film for portraying Israeli soldiers and the state in a false and defamatory light while they “are fighting and risking their lives to protect us.” He vowed to stop public funding for the Ophir Awards starting with the 2026 budget, stating: “Israeli citizens will not pay from their pockets for a ceremony that spits in the faces of our heroic soldiers. No more.”

This sudden defunding raises questions about the autonomy of artistic expression and government involvement in cultural events within Israel. The Israeli Academy of Film and Television defended the film, emphasizing its sensitivity and humanistic approach: “The Sea is sensitive toward humanity in general, and toward its protagonist in particular, a Palestinian boy whose only wish is to reach the sea,” said Assaf Amir, chairman of the academy. Amir added the film provides “small hope” for recognizing the humanity of ‘the other’ amid ongoing conflict, notably as the deadly war in Gaza continues.

“The Sea” will represent Israel in the international category at the upcoming Oscars, intensifying the spotlight on this politically charged drama.

The impact of the film and ministerial reaction showcases the tensions surrounding art and politics in Israel-Palestine, highlighting divisions over narrative control and national identity. This controversy also reverberates within the regional and international film communities, spotlighting the struggles faced by Palestinian stories in Israeli and global contexts.

Moving forward, the future of Israel’s national film awards is uncertain, with the potential loss of government funding threatening the Ophir Awards’ continuation. This development raises broader concerns about freedom of artistic expression in Israel and the cultural consequences of political interference.

The story of “The Sea” and its fallout serves as a potent example of how art and politics intersect in divided societies, underlining the ongoing challenges of Palestinian-Israeli relations and the power of storytelling to provoke dialogue and dissent.