Writing in Canada’s National Post, director John Greyson defends the protest against the Toronton International Film Festival’s decision to spotlight Tel Aviv — and insists that signatories to the Toronto Declaration were not attempting to blacklist Israeli films:
Three weeks ago, I pulled my film out of the Toronto International Film Festival, in protest against their Tel Aviv Spotlight, and Israeli Consul General Amir Gissen’s claim that it was part of his million-dollar Brand Israel campaign. So soon after the Gaza war, it seemed to me immoral that TIFF would celebrate a city that is the centre of Israel’s military operations, and home to the Ministry of Defense.
TIFF said that Brand Israel wasn’t involved, but in this week’s Canadian Jewish News, Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai confirmed Brand Israel’s participation…. The Declaration is absolutely clear: Israeli films and filmmakers are more than welcome here. We are firmly opposed to blacklists of any kind, and sought to silence no one. We didn’t "impose an agenda" on TIFF, as Atom Egoyan has claimed. Knowingly or not, TIFF has imposed a politically-charged and highly provocative agenda on our community, and called it a Spotlight. That’s what we kept the focus on, a frame which has far more PR value for Israel than for the individual filmmakers involved. As a result, the screenings themselves proceeded without disruption of any sort, playing to full houses. And yes, Spotlight filmmakers and audiences certainly debated the issues raised, in and out of the screenings, in pop corn lines and parties — a victory for the Declaration, and for free speech.
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