Academy apologises for statement on Palestinian Oscar winner attack

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (hereinafter referred to as "the Academy") issued an apology statement on Friday, after hundreds of Academy members criticized its failure to support Oscar winner and Palestinian Hamdan Ballal. Ballal was recently detained by Israeli settlers, and the Academy's silence has sparked widespread controversy.

In its statement, the Academy said it apologized for failing to "directly [acknowledge] Mr. Ballal and his film's name." Prior to this, nearly 700 Academy voting members, including many A-list actors, signed an open letter severely criticizing the Academy's response.

Ballal is one of the co-directors of the documentary "No Other Land," which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary earlier this month. It was reported that earlier this week, Ballal was attacked by Israeli settlers and subsequently detained by the Israeli military, before being released.

The Academy initially responded to the incident on Wednesday, but the statement did not directly mention Ballal's name, which sparked strong dissatisfaction in Hollywood. More than 700 Academy voting members jointly signed a letter expressing their disappointment. Signatories included well-known actors such as Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, Olivia Colman, Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Thompson, Penelope Cruz, and Richard Gere, as well as directors Jonathan Glazer and Ava DuVernay.

The open letter stated: "It is unforgivable for an organization to recognize a film and award it in the first week of March, and then fail to protect its filmmaker a few weeks later." It emphasized the difficulty of winning an Oscar, and the fierce competition faced in gaining recognition at the world's most prestigious film awards. The letter also mentioned that the film's award did not rely on the usually costly promotional campaigns.

The open letter further stated: "The actions against Ballal are not just an attack on one filmmaker, but an attack on all those who dare to witness and tell inconvenient truths."

In a statement released on Friday, the Academy named Ballal and expressed its apology. "We regret that we did not directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and his film's name," the statement read. "We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal and to all the artists who felt unsupported by our previous statement, and wish to make clear that the Academy condemns such violence anywhere in the world."

The statement also emphasized: "We abhor the suppression of freedom of expression in any situation."

Ballal's co-director Yuval Abraham said earlier this week that Ballal was taken away by soldiers in an ambulance after being beaten by settlers, and was released a day later. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied the claim, saying that three Palestinians and one Israeli were detained on suspicion of "throwing stones" at security forces.

“No Other Land” won the Best Documentary Award at the 97th Academy Awards. The film tells the story of the struggle of Masafer Yatta—a community of about 20 villages—and the friendship between Adela and Abraham.