{"id":100164,"date":"2025-10-25T03:36:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-25T03:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=100164"},"modified":"2025-10-25T03:36:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-25T03:36:02","slug":"israeli-envoy-slams-critics-for-attempting-to-block-accra-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=100164","title":{"rendered":"Israeli envoy slams critics for attempting to block Accra film festival"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>2 Minute, 45 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>
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The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Roey Gilad, has emphatically dismissed criticisms that the recent Israeli Film Festival, held at Silverbird Cinema in Accra, was merely a vehicle for \u201cpropaganda\u201d. <\/p>\n

The Ambassador defended the festival as a genuine cultural exchange aimed at building bridges between the two nations, highlighting a deliberate strategy of intertwining Israeli and Ghanaian arts.<\/p>\n

Ambassador Gilad, speaking at a recent press briefing, addressed the backlash\u2014which included public protests and calls for boycotts from a coalition of activists and prominent Ghanaians\u2014by focusing on the event\u2019s cultural substance and high public attendance.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO: Israeli film \u2018psychological warfare disguised as entertainment on Silverbird screens\u2019 \u2013 Ernesto Yeboah<\/p>\n

\u201cWe brought here five excellent Israeli films,\u201d the Ambassador stated. \u201cWe went to UNIMAC (University of Media, Arts and Communication, formerly GIJ and NAFTI) \u2026 We told them, let\u2019s add to those Israeli long films short Ghanaian films.\u2019 That\u2019s exactly the essence of this embassy: to intertwine, to put together Israeli art and Ghanaian art and culture\u2026 and to build a bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018A Hollow Argument\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Film Festival, which took place over several days at the Silverbird Cinema at the Accra Mall, was a flashpoint for pro-Palestinian groups who viewed the event as an attempt to \u201cwhitewash\u201d Israel\u2019s image amidst the ongoing conflict in Gaza. <\/p>\n

A broad coalition of Ghanaian individuals and organisations reportedly signed a petition urging Silverbird to cancel the screenings.<\/p>\n

Ambassador Gilad, however, countered the narrative of political manoeuvring with the evidence of public interest, noting that the venue was well-attended.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO: Protesters threaten to picket Silverbird Cinema over Israeli Film Festival<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Silverbird Theatre was full of people who wanted to see art, wanted to see culture, Israeli culture and Ghanaian culture,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

He characterised the opposition as a small, non-representative group seeking to stifle cultural freedom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very few people who objected to it basically wanted to prevent Ghanaians from watching this Israeli culture, Israeli art, and Israeli films.\u201d<\/p>\n

When questioned directly about the \u201cpropaganda\u201d label by MyJoyOnline<\/em><\/strong>, the Ambassador dismissed the claim outright.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there are some \u2013 I don\u2019t know, how should I call them? \u2013 Some people who think this is propaganda, then really this argument is so hollow, it\u2019s so empty that I really think it\u2019s not worth my reaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cultural Diplomacy as a Core Mandate<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Ambassador detailed the Embassy\u2019s consistent focus on cultural exchange programmes, providing figures on past and future collaborations as proof of its genuine, long-term commitment beyond any immediate political context.<\/p>\n