An Israeli film festival in France scheduled for this week was canceled after organizers and staff were subject to pressure and even threats from anti-Israel activists, French news site 20 Minutes reported.
The Shalom Europa film festival was supposed to be held from September 8-10 in the city of Strasbourg, was canceled on Sunday, the Star Cinema chain, where it would have been held, announced. This is the second time the festival has been canceled due to outside pressure, after a previous cancelation in June.
Theater manager Stephane Libs explained, "The decision to cancel was taken so as not to add more violence to the tense context and protect employees and the public.
On Saturday, Strasbourg Mayor Jeanne Barseghia condemned the "threats and pressures weighing on the festival and its associated cinema," calling them "unacceptable." Barseghia said she would be in contact with the film festival organizers to reschedule the event again.
The Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) on Sunday condemned the campaign against the film festival as "intellectual terrorism."
"The pressure, intimidation, and threats on Star Cinema and its staff got the Israeli film festival canceled by the operator after 15 years of programming," CRIF stated. "We do not accept the totalitarian methods of small groups that are working to deny Israel the right to exist and its citizens and its artists the right to express themselves."