The moment No Other Land won Best Documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards, the backlash was inevitable. But what followed wasn’t just criticism—it was a full-blown battle over who gets to control the Palestinian narrative.

Co-directed by Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Hamdan Ballal, and Rachel Szor, the film exposes Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, a region in the occupied West Bank. With two Palestinian and two Israeli filmmakers at the helm, it seemed destined to spark controversy.

But while Israeli officials slammed the documentary as "defamation" and "propaganda," some pro-Palestinian activists took issue with it for entirely different reasons—claiming it wasn’t radical enough.

An Unexpected Firestorm
Instead of universal praise, the film’s Israeli directors found themselves under attack from all sides. Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar urged theaters to ban it, accusing the film of smearing Israel’s image. Right-wing commentators branded it a betrayal.

On the other hand, some Palestinian activists and organizations, including PACBI (Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel), argued that No Other Land violated anti-normalization guidelines. The film’s Israeli directors were accused of promoting “liberal Zionism” and failing to use the term “genocide” when discussing Gaza.

But here’s the irony: the people actually living in Masafer Yatta, the very community the film represents, overwhelmingly support it.

‘I Am Ashamed of All These Critics’
For those on the ground in Masafer Yatta—who face daily raids, settler violence, and home demolitions—the debate over ideological purity means little. Their priority is survival.

Jihad Al-Nawaja, head of the village council in Susiya, was blunt:

“Without people like Yuval and Jewish activists from Israel and around the world, half of Masafer Yatta’s lands would have been confiscated and razed by now. Our steadfastness here is thanks to their help.”

Palestinian activist Tariq Hathaleen echoed this sentiment:

“On the night No Other Land won the Oscar, settlers came to attack us. And yet, people online want to argue about semantics? Take your statements, turn them into juice, drink it, and calm down.”

Others pointed to an uncomfortable truth: the film industry only listens to Palestinian voices when Israelis are involved. This reality is frustrating but undeniable. Rather than rejecting No Other Land, many believe its success should be used to amplify the Palestinian cause.

A Future That Scares People on Both Sides
At its core, the film forces an uncomfortable question: What if Palestinians and Israelis could resist occupation together? In a time when division is deepening, the image of Palestinian and Israeli filmmakers standing side by side at the Oscars challenges the dominant narrative.

And perhaps that’s the real reason why some want this film erased.