"Gaza belongs to Israel, Palestinians are guests," says minister
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'Israel’s' Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar of the ruling Likud party declared on Thursday that the Gaza Strip belongs to 'Israel' and that the roughly 2.3 million Palestinians living there are “guests” permitted to stay temporarily.
Zohar made the remarks in an interview with the Kan public broadcaster while explaining his response to the 2025 Ophir Award-winning film The Sea, which tells the story of a Palestinian boy from the West Bank denied an entry permit to visit the beach in 'Israel.'
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The minister has threatened to withhold government funding from the 'Israeli' film industry over the film, arguing that it portrays the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in a negative light and depicts 'Israel' as an “apartheid country that is killing Palestinians.”
During the interview, Zohar rejected the notion that the IOF’s actions depicted in the film were unjustified, instead framing criticism of soldiers as unacceptable.
He said filmmakers seeking government funding should produce work that appeals to 'Israeli' audiences, not foreign viewers, and reiterated that 'Israel' is not occupying Gaza or the West Bank, which he referred to by "Judea and Samaria".
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The culture minister has a history of targeting productions he deems unfavorable. Shortly after taking office in January 2023, he required filmmakers seeking grants from the 'Israel' Film Council to sign a clause committing not to produce anti-'Israel' content.
Zohar’s latest remarks on Gaza and Palestinian residents are expected to fuel further domestic and international debate over 'Israel’s' policies in the occupied territories and the freedom of artistic expression.
