Focus on the BIG picture.
Friday, Apr 25, 2025

EU Parliament Hosts Screening of Award-Winning Documentary Amidst Tensions in West Bank

EU Parliament Hosts Screening of Award-Winning Documentary Amidst Tensions in West Bank

Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra discusses the impact of Israeli settlements and violence at a press conference in Brussels.
Brussels – The European Parliament has become a platform for denouncing violence against Palestinians amidst ongoing tensions in the West Bank.

Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra has arrived in the EU capital to promote his documentary _No Other Land_, which recently received the Oscar for Best Documentary.

The film spotlights the hardships faced by the Palestinian community of Masafer Yatta.

At a press conference on April 7, 2023, Adra, along with his co-directors, presented their five-year endeavor that documents the violent impact of Israeli settlements on Palestinian lives.

The film, co-directed with Palestinian Hamdan Ballal, and Israelis Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, includes depictions of home demolitions, destruction of essential infrastructure, and direct assaults on local residents by Israeli settlers, reportedly supported by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Masafer Yatta is situated in Area C of the West Bank, an area that has been under Israeli political and security control since the Oslo Accords in the 1990s.

This area constitutes approximately 61% of the West Bank.

Adra noted that conditions have deteriorated significantly since filming concluded in 2023, with more than one hundred attacks reported against local villages since January.

During the press conference, Adra shared an account of personal attacks.

In February 2023, he was assaulted by settlers in the West Bank, and on March 24, his co-director Hamdan Ballal faced a violent raid where he was beaten by masked settlers and detained by Israeli police for roughly 20 hours, facing charges related to the confrontation.

Adra also recounted an incident on March 28 when settlers reportedly abducted 26 men from Masafer Yatta, followed by a military operation that resulted in damage to a school built with European funds.

The filmmaker emphasized that such incidents are part of a broader pattern of violence against Palestinians that he argues stems from Israeli state policies aimed at territorial expansion and undermining the feasibility of a future Palestinian state.

Drawing attention to the lack of media coverage for many Palestinian narratives, he underscored the disparity in responses to violence and human rights violations between different geopolitical contexts.

Adra criticized the perceived impunity enjoyed by Israeli officials, pointing to the diplomatic relations that continue despite alleged violations of international law.

He highlighted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, travels freely in Europe.

During his address, Adra also referenced recent developments in Gaza, including the deaths of 15 Red Crescent aid workers attributed to Israeli military actions, which the Israeli government had previously denied.

He noted that during the most recent escalations, including bombings in Khan Yunis that resulted in numerous casualties, Palestinian journalists have faced unprecedented risks.

Reports indicate that from October 2023 to the present, over 170 journalists have been killed in Gaza, marking the highest toll recorded for journalists in any conflict.

The screening of _No Other Land_ will take place in the European Parliament on April 9, furthering the discourse on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a European context.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Intelligence Chief Refers Classified Leak Cases to Justice Department
U.S. Justice Department and DOGE Announce Cuts to Federal Grants Amid Broader Government Efficiency Efforts
Trump administration moves to BAN essentially ALL artificial food dyes in the USA food supply at RFK Jr.'s direction
Woman slaps man at sports game and gets herself and husband beat up
Pope Francis: head of the Catholic church who pushed for social and economic justice
China do not pay these tariffs - you pay it. This is new 145% tax you pay to the US government.
The legacy media will never show you this side of President Trump
In God We Profit
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
Greek Christians Celebrate Easter in Thessaloníki
US Federal Reserve Chair Issues Warning on Tariff Impact
UK Prison Officers Demand Electric Stun Guns Amid Safety Concerns
China, China, China!
El Salvador Proposes Prisoner Exchange with Venezuela Amid Deportation Controversy
US Government Defends Deportation of Salvadoran National Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Australian National Charged as Mercenary for Fighting in Ukraine
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
A casino in Mexico burns at the hands of cartels
Prince Andrew Joins Royal Family Attends Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle
Pope Francis Makes Brief Appearance at Easter Sunday Mass
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Alphabet Faces Antitrust Setbacks as Federal Judges Rule Against Google
Here’s a police officer with a brilliant gift for swift education
Britain, as is well known, was never truly a democracy, but today it has even stopped bothering to pretend that it is
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
US Billionaires Call for Higher Taxes, but Proposed 'Millionaires Tax' May Not Achieve Desired Outcome
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Designed in US, made in China: Why Apple is stuck in tariff tussle
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
US Government to Reclassify Career Employees Working on Policy Matters
U.S. Appeals Court Upholds Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban
NBA Coach Steve Kerr Backs Harvard Amid Trump Administration's Federal Funding Freeze
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
US-China Trade War: Trump Expects 'Very Good Deal' Amid Escalating Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
US Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Rapid Deportation Policy
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
China's Largest iPhone Factory Resumes Hiring After Tariff Exemption
×