Israel releases Oscar-winning Palestinian director after he was attacked by West Bank settlers
Israeli authorities have released Hamdan Ballal, an Oscar-winning Palestinian director who was detained by the army after being attacked by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. Ballal, along with the other directors of the award-winning documentary film No Other Land, had just celebrated their win at the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles when the incident occurred.
Ballal, with bruises on his face and blood on his clothes, was finally released from an Israeli police station in the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba on Tuesday. He recounted the harrowing experience of being blindfolded for 24 hours and forced to sleep under a freezing air conditioner at an army base. He described how the soldiers mocked him and laughed at his distress, even though he could not understand their Hebrew language.
Lea Tsemel, the attorney representing the three men, expressed concern over the lack of proper medical care provided to the victims following the attack. She was also denied access to them for several hours after their arrest. The Palestinian residents of Susiya, where the attack took place, reported that around two dozen settlers had descended on the village, some armed and masked, and began throwing stones while the residents were breaking their fast during Ramadan.
The Israeli police stated that three suspects were transferred to them for investigation related to rock throwing, property damage, and endangering regional security. However, Tsemel maintained that Ballal and the other two Palestinians denied any involvement in throwing stones.
In his testimony to his lawyer, Ballal described how he had gone out to film the settlers attacking houses in the village before being ambushed by a well-known settler who had threatened him in the past. The settler, accompanied by two soldiers, violently assaulted Ballal in front of his home, leaving him battered and bloodied. Ballal’s wife, Lamia, recounted how she heard his cries for help and witnessed the brutal attack from inside their home.
No Other Land, the documentary that garnered international acclaim, sheds light on the struggles faced by Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, specifically focusing on the residents of the Masafer Yatta area. The film has won numerous awards and accolades but has also sparked controversy and backlash in Israel and abroad.
Basel Adra, another co-director of No Other Land and a prominent Palestinian activist, highlighted the escalation of attacks by settlers and Israeli forces following the film’s success. He emphasized the ongoing challenges and threats faced by Palestinians in the West Bank, with little intervention or protection from the authorities.
The incident involving Ballal and the other Palestinians underscores the volatile and precarious situation in the occupied territories, where clashes and violence are a daily reality. The international community’s stance on the legality of Israeli settlements and the need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict remains a pressing issue as the region grapples with ongoing tensions and unrest.
