In April 1909, representatives of 66 families gathered on a sand dune north of Yafo to allocate the plots for a new neighborhood – which would later become a large metropolis, Tel Aviv.
A major event at this September’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has brought Israel into the spotlight and has sparked an international debate on censorship and freedom of speech. The City to City program is a new part of the TIFF line-up of films and events at the festival this year and is showcasing Tel Aviv through a series of films to celebrate the city’s centennial. Two weeks ago, a group of prominent members of the film industry signed an open letter called the Toronto Declaration, criticizing the City to City program’s positive portrayal of Tel Aviv, the lack of diversity in the film programme given the absence of Palestinian-focused films, and the alleged ties between the event and the Brand Israel media campaign that was launched in 2008 to promote Israeli culture and achievements. The signatories of the Declaration emphasize that they do not denounce individual Israeli filmmakers or the fact that Israeli films are being shown at TIFF, but rather the use of the festival as a propaganda machine for Israel.
Despite the compelling points made by the signatories of the Declaration (which I encourage you to read in full at http://torontodeclaration.blogspot.com/ ) I cannot accept their argument, because it hinges on the presumption that TIFF is connected to the Brand Israel campaign, an allegation that TIFF organizers have strongly denied. Furthermore, the land that Tel Aviv is situated on is uncontested ground. In 1909, sixty-six Jewish families purchased sand dunes on the outskirts of the port city of Jaffa, which they built into the cosmopolitan city of Tel-Aviv. This leaves me wondering – if the participants in the Declaration do not have any cogent arguments on which to base their accusations, why has their cause gained such widespread interest and attention? The answer, in my opinion, is plain and simple: yet again, those who denounce Israel have found a way to pervert a celebration of Israeli culture and achievement into an attack against Israel. They don’t care about the facts, just the spectacle. As advocates for Israel, it is our role to learn the facts and not be fooled by strongly worded petitions or the influence of famous people.
Source of Photos: http://www.tlv100.co.il
Other Sources and Further Information:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1110750.html
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1982871
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/theres-justice-and-then-theres-propaganda/article1281264/
http://torontodeclaration.blogspot.com/
https://lib.stanford.edu/eliasaf-robinson-tel-aviv-collection/ahuzat-bayit-and-founding-tel-aviv-1909
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