Nadav Lapid Quits FID Marseille Jury After 10 Films Withdraw Over Israel Boycott Pressure
Updated
Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jun 8
Nadav Lapid Quits FID Marseille Jury After 10 Films Withdraw Over Israel Boycott Pressure
3 articles · Updated · The Jerusalem Post · Jun 8
Summary
About 10 selected films were pulled from July’s FID Marseille after activists and directors objected to Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid serving on the jury, prompting Lapid to withdraw to spare the festival further damage.
FID director Tsveta Dobreva said the festival first stood by inviting Lapid for his filmmaking alone, then faced escalating demands to remove him entirely, including threats of a broader boycott.
Lapid, 51, said the backlash had shifted from attacks on his 2025 film "Yes" to rejection of his mere presence, and faulted the festival for underestimating the intimidation campaign.
A petition backing Lapid and condemning that campaign is due Tuesday, with support from prominent French film figures, while Israel Culture Minister Miki Zohar used the episode to argue Israel's critics make no distinction among Israelis.
The dispute has widened beyond one festival slot into a test of how far cultural boycotts of Israel reach, even for a director known for sharp criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu's government.