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Creative Community for Peace Defends Israeli Director Nadav Lapid Against BDS Boycott
Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), a pro‑Israel collective of entertainment‑industry professionals, issued a statement on Wednesday affirming its solidarity with Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid after the director faced a cultural boycott linked to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Lapid, who relocated to France in 2021, has consistently criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies and the country’s military actions in Gaza. His forthcoming 2025 film Yes, a satirical critique of the Israeli government, received partial funding from the Israel Film Fund. Earlier, he earned international acclaim with Ahed’s Knee, which won the jury prize at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, and Synonyms, which took home the Golden Bear at the 2019 Berlinale.
The boycott pressure emerged during the 37th International Film Festival in Marseille (FID Marseille), slated for July 7–12. Lapid had been invited to serve on the festival’s jury as a gesture of respect for his work. Festival director Tsveta Dobreva told the French newspaper Le Monde that the invitation was made “solely out of respect for his cinema,” but she later received calls demanding his removal. In response, the festival organizers proposed that Lapid participate only in a public screening of his 2011 debut feature Policeman and a book‑signing event. Several filmmakers who support the cultural boycott of Israel and opposed the funding of Yes withdrew their films from the festival in protest, and Lapid ultimately withdrew as well.
On Monday and Tuesday, Le Monde published two open letters signed by more than 350 members of the film industry, including Lapid’s collaborators. Signatories included actress Natalie Portman, directors Justine Triet and Jacques Audiard, and producers of Lapid’s films Yes and Synonyms. The letters condemned the boycott campaign that sought to exclude Lapid from FID Marseille.
In its statement, CCFP described the boycott as a discriminatory effort to exclude an artist because of his connection to Israel. The organization argued that if the goal of the movement were peace, dialogue, coexistence, or meaningful criticism of Israeli policy, it would welcome Israeli films that challenge Israeli society. CCFP said it would encourage the screening, debate, and circulation of such works and recognize that artists who criticize their own governments are essential voices in any democratic culture.
CCFP also highlighted that Israeli public funds supported Yes, a film that sharply criticizes Israel, and that the same film was recognized by Israel’s most prestigious cinematic institutions. The organization contrasted this with the treatment of similar works in countries that do not face the same level of boycott campaigns, noting that in closed societies artists are punished for criticizing the state.
The broader context is the BDS movement, a Palestinian‑led campaign that calls for boycotts, divestments, and sanctions against Israel. The movement has organized cultural boycotts of Israeli artists and institutions, and it has faced criticism from pro‑Israel groups and some governments for allegations that it promotes antisemitism.
As of now, Lapid has not announced a new festival appearance following his withdrawal from FID Marseille. The open letters and CCFP statement have drawn attention to the ongoing debate over cultural boycotts and the role of state‑funded cinema in Israel. The situation remains unresolved, with the film community divided over whether artistic expression should be separated from political affiliation.
The next major event for Lapid will be the release of Yes in theaters across the United States later this year. The film’s reception, both critically and commercially, will likely influence how the boycott debate evolves. Meanwhile, CCFP continues to monitor the situation and has pledged to support artists who face similar challenges.
Lapid, who relocated to France in 2021, has consistently criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies and the country’s military actions in Gaza. His forthcoming 2025 film Yes, a satirical critique of the Israeli government, received partial funding from the Israel Film Fund. Earlier, he earned international acclaim with Ahed’s Knee, which won the jury prize at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, and Synonyms, which took home the Golden Bear at the 2019 Berlinale.
The boycott pressure emerged during the 37th International Film Festival in Marseille (FID Marseille), slated for July 7–12. Lapid had been invited to serve on the festival’s jury as a gesture of respect for his work. Festival director Tsveta Dobreva told the French newspaper Le Monde that the invitation was made “solely out of respect for his cinema,” but she later received calls demanding his removal. In response, the festival organizers proposed that Lapid participate only in a public screening of his 2011 debut feature Policeman and a book‑signing event. Several filmmakers who support the cultural boycott of Israel and opposed the funding of Yes withdrew their films from the festival in protest, and Lapid ultimately withdrew as well.
On Monday and Tuesday, Le Monde published two open letters signed by more than 350 members of the film industry, including Lapid’s collaborators. Signatories included actress Natalie Portman, directors Justine Triet and Jacques Audiard, and producers of Lapid’s films Yes and Synonyms. The letters condemned the boycott campaign that sought to exclude Lapid from FID Marseille.
In its statement, CCFP described the boycott as a discriminatory effort to exclude an artist because of his connection to Israel. The organization argued that if the goal of the movement were peace, dialogue, coexistence, or meaningful criticism of Israeli policy, it would welcome Israeli films that challenge Israeli society. CCFP said it would encourage the screening, debate, and circulation of such works and recognize that artists who criticize their own governments are essential voices in any democratic culture.
CCFP also highlighted that Israeli public funds supported Yes, a film that sharply criticizes Israel, and that the same film was recognized by Israel’s most prestigious cinematic institutions. The organization contrasted this with the treatment of similar works in countries that do not face the same level of boycott campaigns, noting that in closed societies artists are punished for criticizing the state.
The broader context is the BDS movement, a Palestinian‑led campaign that calls for boycotts, divestments, and sanctions against Israel. The movement has organized cultural boycotts of Israeli artists and institutions, and it has faced criticism from pro‑Israel groups and some governments for allegations that it promotes antisemitism.
As of now, Lapid has not announced a new festival appearance following his withdrawal from FID Marseille. The open letters and CCFP statement have drawn attention to the ongoing debate over cultural boycotts and the role of state‑funded cinema in Israel. The situation remains unresolved, with the film community divided over whether artistic expression should be separated from political affiliation.
The next major event for Lapid will be the release of Yes in theaters across the United States later this year. The film’s reception, both critically and commercially, will likely influence how the boycott debate evolves. Meanwhile, CCFP continues to monitor the situation and has pledged to support artists who face similar challenges.
