You should be ashamed: Israeli envoy slams IFFI jury head Nadav Lapid for 'The Kashmir Files' criticism

On the back of IFFI jury head Nadav Lapid's comments on Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files, the Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, on Tuesday penned an open letter to IFFI and Lapid, criticising the Israeli filmmaker for speaking on the Kashmir issue.

In the letter directed at Lapid, Gilon wrote, "YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED," adding that he, as the ambassador, "unequivocally" condemned the filmmaker's remarks on Agnihotri's movie.

"Feel free to use the liberty to sound your criticism of what you dislike in Israel but no need to reflect your frustration on other countries," Gilon urged Lapid.

"The friendship between Israel and India is very strong and will survive the damage you have inflicted," Gilon further wrote and offered his apologies in India.

Hours after Gilon's open letter, Israel's ex-Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon backed the current envoy, writing that Lapid "definitely should apologize for his revolting personal remarks on historical facts without any sensitivity,not really knowing what he was talking about."

As the row continued to get increasing attention, another Israeli diplomat, Consul General Kobbi Shoshani, also distanced Israel from Lapid's comments, saying, "He [Lapid] can say that it's the opinion of the Jury which is alright. But it has nothing to do with Israel."

Amid the row, Indian film director Sudipto Sen, who was part of the international film jury, distanced himself and other members from Lapid's statement.

"Whatever has been said by IFFI 2022 Jury Chairman Mr Nadav Lapid about the film Kashmir Files, from the stage of closing ceremony of 53rd IFFI was completely his personal opinion," Sen wrote in a note shared on Twitter. Sen said he and other jury members, including Spanish documentary filmmaker Javier Angulo Barturen and French film editor Pascale Chavance, made no mention about their “likes or dislikes". Comments by Lapid were made in his "personal capacity", he stressed.

Meanwhile, Indian filmmaker Anupam Kher, who was part of The Kashmir Files, also reacted sharply to Lapid's comments, telling ANI, "I dont want to say much, if Holocaust is right, the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits is right too. This all seems pre-planned as immediately after that the toolkit gang became active. May God give him wisdom.."

Kher further said that the comments by Lapid, who hails from the Jewish community, would also be painful for those who had suffered the Holocaust, adding, "May the God give him wisdom so that he doesn't use the tragedy of thousands and lakhs of people from the stage to fulfill his agenda."

Political parties too, unsurprisingly, jumped in on the controversy, with the BJP's Amit Malviya comparing Lapid's condemnation of The Kashmir Files to the denial of the Holocaust. "For the longest time, people even denied the Holocaust and called Schindler's List a propaganda, just like some are doing to Kashmir Files. Truth eventually triumphs, no matter what," the saffron party’s IT department head said.

The Congress, meanwhile, attacked the Modi government at the Centre, saying that the furore was an "embarrassment": commenting on the row, the grand old party's spokesperson Supriya Srinate saying, "Hate gets called out, eventually."

The reactions come after Lapid, on the closing day of IFFI, had criticised Agnihotri's film as a piece of propaganda. "14 out of the 15 films had their cinematic qualities and defaults and evoked vivid discussion. We were all of us disturbed and shocked by the 15th film The Kashmir Files, that felt for us like a propaganda, vulgar movie, inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festivalm," the Israeli screenwriter had said.

The Kashmir Files, which polarised opinions following its release in March and went on to become a blockbuster hit, was screened at IFFI on November 22 as part of the Indian panorama section.

(With agency inputs)