Israeli Film Academy boycotts Miri Regev

The Israel's Academy of Film and Television has decided not to invite Culture Minister Miri Regev (Likud) to its annual Ophir Awards, deciding to cancel the longstanding tradition following the uproar Regev caused last year.

In 2016, Regev stormed out of the ceremony after performers played a song written by Arab ultranationalist poet Mahmoud Darwish, who was part of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) terror group. Regev later wrote that "I have a lot of respect and patience for the other side, but I feel no patience for Darwish and for anyone who wants to destroy me or my country.”

The Academy said in a statement that "the academy's management is determined to do everything in its power to prevent repetition of such unfortunate events, and therefore decided not to invite politicians to the awards ceremony."

Regev has come out against the Israeli film 'Foxtrot', which recently snagged second place at the Venice Film Festival. Regev claims that the film defames IDF soldiers and presents them as war criminals. "It’s outrageous that Israeli artists contribute to the incitement of the young generation against the most moral army in the world by spreading lies in the guise of art," she said on Saturday night.