Monday 18 October 2010

British filmaker cancels visit to Israel over country's illegal policies

[ 18/10/2010 - 12:11 PM ]

LONDON, (PIC)-- British filmmaker Mike Leigh announced Sunday that he has canceled his scheduled visit to Israel because of the recent Citizenship Act amendment requiring anyone who applies for Israeli citizenship to pledge allegiance to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic state”, and in protest of ongoing settlement activity in the area.

Leigh was scheduled to visit Israel in October as a guest in a Jerusalem film institute, but he changed his mind because of the loyalty law.

Writing to his host in Israel, the filmmaker said he regretted not calling off the visit directly after the Israeli naval forces' attack on the Freedom Flotilla late last May.

The decision to renew illegal settlement activity in the occupied territories, and the decision to amend the citizenship law brought him to irreversibly decide not to set foot in Israel, according to his message.

In his letter, the British director described Israel’s blockade on the Gaza Strip as “criminal and immoral”.

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