Israel's Ambassador to France Aliza Bin-Noun will not attend the opening ceremony of an Israeli film festival in Paris over the organizers' decision to screen an Israeli film critics say slanders the Israel Defense Forces.
Israel's Foreign Ministry on Sunday said Bin-Noun would not attend the festival's opening night event next month, when Samuel Maoz's critically acclaimed "Foxtrot" is being screened. It said the ambassador had urged organizers to choose a film that "is not controversial and suits a festive opening night," which "Jewish donors" are expected to attend. It said festival organizers declined Bin-Noun's request.
Regev, who is in Paris to attend a judo tournament, instructed her ministry to send a message to Foreign Ministry Director General Yuval Rotem, whose ministry is allocating funds for the festival, that "it is unacceptable" for the policy of the Foreign Ministry's culture department to be "detached from government policy." Regev said she planned to ask Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to direct the Foreign Ministry to not fund the festival.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said, "Last December, the embassy recommended to the festival's management, as it has in the past on other occasions, to choose an Israeli film that is not controversial and is suitable for the festive opening night, which includes a Jewish donor audience that has faithfully monitored the festival throughout its existence. The festival's management … chose not to accept the recommendation. Therefore, the Foreign Ministry instructed the embassy not to attend the festival's opening ceremony."
