JERUSALEM, March7, 2011 (WAFA)-The Israeli High Court declared on Monday the verdict on actor Mohammed Bakri will be announced later while holding the hearing of the political persecution brought by five Israeli soldiers on the background of his film ‘Jenin, Jenin’.
Bakri’s Lawyer, Avigdor Feldman’s defense was based on responding to the soldiers’ claims saying that: “Mohammed Bakri made an art film through his career as a creative artist, stemming from the democracy concept and freedom of expression.”
He also confirmed that the plaintiffs five soldiers did not appear in the film neither in sound nor in picture and there was no abuse at the individual or at the collective level.
The trial was held in the presence of the Bakri’s supporters from progressive Jews and Arabs, as well as the Knesset members Mohammed Baraka and Ahmed Tibi.
Bakri’s supporters declared that whatever still remains in Israel of the right to freedom of thought, to expression and of artistic creativity must be saved. They considered the suit against Bakri an attempt to silence all those who dare to reveal the truth about the Israeli occupation.
The Solidarity with Mohammed Bakri Committee accused Israeli courts for being determined to attack director and actor Mohammed Bakri, for using his art to document the crimes of the Israeli army as a part of intimidating.
In 2007, five Israeli soldiers were involved in the attack on Jenin refugee camp in 2002 sued the cinématiques, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for screening the film in the midst of the ban, the cinématiques group reached an agreement with the soldiers and paid 40,000 NIS for compensation.
Bakri is being sued for 2.5 million NIS for producing the film in charges of slander and defamation of character. However these soldiers were neither shown, nor mentioned, in the film.
Bakri commented on this persecution as follows: “Whatever the court decides, my conscience is very satisfied with directing the film ‘Jenin Jenin’, and I will continue to direct and make films. As it is clear, all that matters is persecuting and preventing me from art.” That aims to silence others in the State of ‘democracy’.
He also said: “Nobody sued me when, I made movies about the victims of the Jewish Holocaust! I even attended movies on the Armenian Genocide and the crimes against the Kurds. Why, then, am I being pursued? Because I made the film “Jenin, Jenin”; which documents the attack of the Israeli army on the refugee camp in that city in spring 2002?”
“I am a committed artist to the human rights issue regardless of color or national and ethnic affiliation” He added.
Jenin remained sealed for days after the invasion; a massacre occurred and the Israeli army refused to allow journalists, human rights and humanitarian organizations into the camp for 'safety reasons' so many stories of civilians were buried alive in their homes as they were demolished, and of smoldering buildings covering the crushed bodies.
In addition, Iyad Samoudi, the film's Executive Producer, was killed at Alyamoun, a town west of Jenin, at the end of the shooting of the film by Israeli soldiers on 23 June 2002.
After only three shows, the Israeli Film Board and the Israeli censors banned the film for two years arguing that it’s “a unilateral film which confuses and deludes the viewer, by presenting the Israeli army of being committed to war crimes against the Palestinians.”
Bakri petitioned for the Israeli High Court against the censors for prohibiting him from presenting the film on the basis of that it distorts the truth. After a long fight, the court rejected the censor's decision and noted “No one monopolizes the truth.”
This political persecution came after the escalation of racist activities against the Arabs and Palestinians as the Israeli Governmental institutions try to intimidate the Arab citizens under the extremist right-wing coalition.
Y.Y./F.R.
