Israel Matzav

Daughter of 'martyr' decries 'Paradise'

Nonie Darwish, the daughter of a 'Palestinian martyr' is calling on the Motion Picture Academy not to give an Academy Award for best foreign film to the terrorist justifying Paradise Now.

The daughter of an Arab "martyr" killed by Israeli forces presented a petition with 36,000 signatures to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday, denouncing its selection of Paradise Now for Oscar honors.

Nonie Darwish harshly criticized the Palestinian film about two suicide bombers for "putting a human face on the murderers of children."

She warned that if Paradise Now, one of five nominees in the best foreign film category, wins an Oscar at Sunday evening's ceremony, "it will send a message to young Arabs that we are accepted in the West and we have won."

Darwish was the sole speaker at a news conference sponsored by The Israel Project, which organized the petition campaign and which seeks to educate the American media and public about Israel.

The group also placed a full-page ad Friday in the entertainment industry daily Variety featuring photos of an Israeli bus and teenager blown up by a suicide bomber.

The news conference was held at a Hollywood restaurant adjacent to the Kodak Theater, the site of Sunday's glittering Academy Awards.

...

There was a separate photograph of 16-year old Asaf Zur, who was killed in a Haifa bus bombing. His father, Yossi Zur, was among the first to speak out against Paradise Now and he had planned to present the petition in person to Academy officials.

However, the third yahrzeit [anniversary CiJ] of his son's death on March 5 falls precisely on the date of the Academy Awards and he decided to remain in Israel to mourn with his family.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:47 PM