Popular culture is one of the most effective tools for influencing minds. Netflix’s programming is infamously woke, with a handful of exceptions, and typically, the woke accept the Palestinian victimhood narrative. The Netflix film showing the murder of Palestinian family in 1948 is flawed for what it does not show, not for what it shows. It omits the persecution of Jews long before 1948, during the Arab Revolt. It says nothing about the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem’s collaboration with the Nazis to exterminate Jews. Viewers are shown the drama and tragedy of Palestinian suffering during 1948, but they do not see the suffering of the Jews prior to, during and since 1948 at the hands of Palestinian jihadis.
Entertainment can move viewers to an emotional response. Netflix is irresponsible at best in presenting the prevailing flawed view that Israel is a violator of Palestinian rights, without offering any facts about the longstanding Palestinian jihad.
“Israel condemns Netflix film showing murder of Palestinian family in 1948 war,” by Bethan McKernan, Guardian, November 30, 2022:
A Netflix film depicting Zionist forces murdering a Palestinian family during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation has been condemned by Israeli officials as “creating a false narrative”.
Farha, the debut of the Jordanian film-maker Darin Sallam, has been shown at several film festivals around the world since its release last year, and is Jordan’s Oscars entry for 2023. It is due to begin streaming to a global audience on the online entertainment service on Thursday.
The film centres on the experiences of a girl, 14, who is locked in a storage room by her father during the events of the Nakba, the Arabic term for the ethnic cleansing and displacement of about 700,000 Palestinians. When nascent Israeli soldiers come to the village, Farha witnesses the killing of an entire family, including two small children and a baby, through a crack in the pantry door.
The trailer and advertisements say the film is inspired by real events.
“It’s crazy that Netflix decided to stream a movie whose whole purpose is to create a false pretence and incite against Israeli soldiers,” said Israel’s outgoing finance minister, Avigdor Lieberman, in a statement. Lieberman also said he would look at withdrawing state funding from Al Saraya theatre in the Arab-majority town of Jaffa, which screened the film.
Israel’s culture minister, Hili Tropper, said Farha depicted “lies and libels”, and showing it in an Israeli theatre “is a disgrace”.
In an emailed comment sent on Thursday, the theatre’s manager, Mahmoud Abo Arisheh, said: “We responded to incitement with the fact that we [went ahead with] showing the movie.
“As for the public’s response, Saraya’s supporters once again proved to be many. We are committed to defending our right to exist and to express ourselves … We are committed to freedom of art, all art.”…..
