By Nichola Groom
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “No Other Land,” a film showing the alliance that develops between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist amid their peoples’ conflict on the occupied West Bank, won the documentary feature film Oscar on Sunday.
Accepting the award at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre were the Palestinian Basel Adra, born in 1996, and journalist Yuval Abraham, born in 1995.
The film shows Adra resisting the forced displacement of his people by the Israeli army in the West Bank community of Masafer Yatta. The film shows Israeli soldiers tearing down homes and evicting residents to create a military training zone.
Adra befriends Abraham, but their relationship is challenged by the gap in their living conditions.
Adra said: “‘No Other Land’ reflects the harsh reality that we have been enduring for decades and still resist as we call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
Abraham said they made the film because together their voices were stronger.
“We see each other, the atrocious destruction of Gaza and its people which must end, the Israeli hostages brutally taken in the crime of October 7 which must be freed.
“When I look at Basel I see my brother but we are unequal. We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law and Basel is under military law that destroys his life and he cannot control.
“There is a different path. A political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people. And I have to say as I’m here, the foreign policy in this country is helping to block this path.
“And why? Can’t you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe. There is another way. It’s not too late for life, for the living.”
(Reporting by Nichola Groom and Howard Goller; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
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