An Oscar-Winning Palestinian Filmmaker Was Just Attacked And Arrested – Here's What We Know
UPDATE: Per Twitter/X, Hamdan Ballal has been released:
Hamdan Ballal is free and is about to go home to his family
— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) March 25, 2025
The original story continues below.
Hamdan Ballal, one of four filmmakers behind the documentary "No Other Land," which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary earlier this month, has reportedly been arrested by the Israeli military after being assaulted by masked Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
According to Jewish-American activists, who videotaped the attack, Ballal was surrounded and beaten by the settlers near his home in Masafer Yatta, the same region that is targeted for destruction by the Israeli military in the documentary. The incident started when somewhere between 10 and 20 masked assailants began throwing stones at Palestinians. The Center for Jewish Nonviolence provided the AP with a copy of the video, which they claim shows a masked settler swinging on two of the group's activists. The activists then run to their car, which, as they drive away, is pelted with rocks.
The Israeli military offered no immediate comment other than to say they're looking into the incident. The account of the assault in The Guardian cites several witnesses who claim that Israeli soldiers arrived at Ballal's house along with more settlers wearing military uniforms. They chased Ballal into his house, at which point he was taken into custody by the soldiers. Activists subsequently shot video of blood on the floor of Ballal's residence, which was allegedly the result of the filmmaker being struck on the head.
”The settlers destroyed his car with stones and slashed one of the tyres,” said a witness named Raviv. "All the windows and windshields were broken.”
Activist Josh Kimelman, who was also on the scene, said, "We don't know where Hamdan is because he was taken away in a blindfold."
The No Other Land filmmakers have been physically assaulted before
This is not the first time a "No Other Land" director has been assaulted by Israeli settlers. Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra was surrounded and attacked in a manner similar to the assault on Ballal. In both cases, the victim's cars were smashed and their tires slashed, while their water tanks were punctured. In Adra's case, neighbors' houses were attacked as their residents screamed for help.
This attack comes at the same time that repressive forces in the United States are attempting to punish exhibitors for screening "No Other Land." Last week, Miami mayor Steven Meiner threatened to cancel the lease of the arthouse O Cinema for showing the movie, but backed off after getting deluged with angry public comments at City Hall. This is a minor dust-up that in no way compares to what is going on in Gaza, but let it be a reminder that the best response to fascism and injustice is for decent, principled people to show up and shout down would-be dictators.
It is also vital that news outlets keep the heat on the Israeli military, lest they think they can get away with disappearing an Oscar-winning filmmaker who has committed the crime of documenting their actions for the whole world to see. Here's hoping that "No Other Land," which still has no U.S. distribution but is available through specific means and venues, will come to streaming in the United States soon.