A planned screening of the Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' at Sapir College was abruptly canceled on Wednesday evening following a power outage that occurred shortly after the film began. The event had already drawn significant controversy, with dozens of students and local residents protesting outside the venue. Demonstrators accused the film of inciting against IDF soldiers, portraying them as war criminals, and claimed that its screening was an affront to both soldiers and residents of southern Israel, particularly in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks.
Protesters highlighted that the film's creators have publicly advocated for an arms embargo against Israel in response to the ongoing conflict with Hamas. The screening's location—Sapir College, situated in the western Negev and itself a target during the October 7 attacks—further fueled the outcry.
Education Minister Yoav Kisch intervened prior to the event, urging the college administration to cancel the screening. He argued that there is no place for what he termed "incitement films," especially in a region that has suffered extensively from recent hostilities. Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi echoed this sentiment, formally requesting that the college prevent the film from being shown.
The Sapir College Student Union also voiced strong opposition, stating unequivocally that "there is no place to screen such a film on campus."
Shai Glick, CEO of the human rights organization B’Tsalmo, called for the revocation of government funding allocated to the college for post-October 7 recovery efforts. "Sapir College was severely affected on October 7. It is unacceptable that it now promotes a film that harms IDF soldiers and whose creators call for an arms embargo against Israel," Glick stated. "The college received hundreds of millions of shekels to rebuild—not to spread hatred or support those who advocate for boycotts and incitement."
The power outage that halted the screening occurred shortly after the film began. College officials have not confirmed whether the blackout was accidental or deliberate.
No Other Land has faced criticism due to its anti-Israel bias and for presenting false claims that an illegal Arab settlement, which was built on previously empty land that had been used as a military training ground, was an ancient community despite proof it was built only recently.
As of now, the college has not announced whether it will reschedule the screening or take disciplinary action regarding the incident.