Israel Matzav: 'Palestinian' filmmaker held by immigration at LAX

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

'Palestinian' filmmaker held by immigration at LAX

A 'Palestinian' filmmaker arriving in Los Angeles to attend the Oscar Awards ceremony was held by United States immigration officials at Los Angeles' Tom Bradley International Airport for about an hour and a half on Tuesday night. Here are some tweets from Leftist Hollywood icon Michael Moore.

Emad Burnat, Palestinian director of Oscar nominated "5 Broken Cameras" was held tonight by immigration at LAX as he landed to attend Oscars
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013

Emad, his wife & 8-yr old son were placed in a holding area and told they didn't have the proper invitation on them to attend the Oscars.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013

Apparently the Immigration & Customs officers couldn't understand how a Palestinian could be an Oscar nominee. Emad texted me for help.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013

Yeah, that must be it.

I called Academy officials who called lawyers. I told Emad to give the officers my phone # and to say my name a couple of times.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013

You mean the ICE officials didn't know who Moore was? I'm shocked....

After 1.5 hrs, they decided to release him & his family & told him he could stay in LA for the week & go to the Oscars. Welcome to America.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013

"It's nothing I'm not already used to," he told me later. "When u live under occupation, with no rights, this is a daily occurrence."
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013

Emad Burnat, Palestinian farmer turned filmmaker, director of "5 Broken Cameras", the 1st Palestinian doc ever nominated for the Oscar.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013

This all just happened tonight, a few hours ago. He was certain they were going to deport him. But not if I had anything to do about it.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 20, 2013

Of course. He's just what America needs....

JPost adds:

Oscar-winning American documentary filmmaker Michael Moore has taken to Twitter to express his dissatisfaction with immigration officials at LAX airport in Los Angeles, after they allegedly threatened to send fellow filmmaker Emad Burnat, "back to Palestine."

Burnat had been visiting LA to attend the 85th Annual Academy Awards. He had been nominated in the category of Best Documentary for his film "5 Broken Cameras."

"5 Broken Cameras" documents the first years of life for Burnat's baby against the backdrop of the West Bank village of Bil'in's battle against the Israeli security fence. Five of Burnat's cameras were smashed by the Israeli army as he documented friends and family members being shot and injured by Israeli troops. The film won the documentary director's award this year at the Sundance Film Festival.

According to Moore, once Burnat presented the authorities with his invitation to the 85th Annual Academy Awards, he was told that his official Oscars invitation wasn't "proper". Moore then tweeted the entire incident as relayed to him by Burnat.

5 Broken Cameras is one of two anti-Israel films nominated in the 'documentary' category. I hope neither of them win.

Labels: Oscars, Palestinians, United States