The Cairo International Film Festival spreads anti-Israel sentiments and incitement - opinion

How does the ruling military authority in Egypt intend to proceed with its relationship with Israel, the country with which it signed a peace treaty on March 26, 1979, in Washington, D.C.?

This question came to mind as I followed the opening ceremony of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) – its 45th edition – which began on the evening of Wednesday, November 13, 2024, and concluded on Friday, November 22. This year’s theme might as well have been: “Promoting hatred and hostility towards Israel.”

Festival president Hussein Fahmy, in multiple press statements, declared that the festival’s management, in support of the Palestinian cause, insists on boycotting any organization or company on “the boycott list” (the Arab boycott list of global companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Starbucks, among others) that deals with Israel.

Instead, the organizing committee sought funding and support from national organizations and companies. Fahmy added that the Palestinian cause is a cause for all people worldwide fighting for justice, fairness, and dignity. He expressed his solidarity with “occupied Palestine” from his position.

Fahmy also noted, in the presence of many prominent artists, that last year’s festival was postponed in solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza. He emphasized the solidarity between the Egyptian and Palestinian peoples and also expressed support for Lebanon in its conflict.

Egyptian Minister of Culture Ahmed Hano attended the event and delivered a formal speech, underscoring Cairo's leading role in art in the region, further highlighting the prearranged distribution of roles between him and Fahmy. This reflects the typical duplicity of the Egyptian regime.

Cairo Film Festival's anti-Israel rhetoric and political bias

HOWEVER, IT didn’t stop there. In one of his interviews with the state-affiliated newspaper Akhbar Al-Youm, Fahmy referred to Israel using the term “the entity” without explicitly naming it in a manner that can be described as “extreme.” His rhetoric was highly inciting, fostering hostility and distorting facts.

“The festival management has decided that international companies supplying food, beverages, and support to the Zionist occupation forces, aiding in the destruction of occupied Palestine, should not participate in any form with the festival,” he stated. This perspective seems to ignore the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas militias or Hezbollah’s explicit declaration of support for Hamas and entry into the conflict on October 8, 2023, under the so-called "support front."

At the closing ceremony, a line of poetry by Mahmoud Darwish, “On this land, there is something worth living for,” was recited, followed by a dance performance by the Watan Art Group from Gaza to the song “Rafraf Ya Tayr: (Fly, O Bird).

At the end of the segment, Fahmy raised the group members’ hands and stated, “We in Egypt owe it to those coming from Gaza in occupied Palestine to provide all the support.” He then thanked all entities that supported and collaborated with the festival, including the American Embassy and the American University in Cairo. One wonders: Are they aware of the extent to which the festival has been politicized and used for political confrontation?

ANOTHER QUESTION arises: Does the president of the Cairo International Film Festival believe Israel has no right to defend itself against Islamic terrorism?

One can only imagine the hostile rhetoric against Israel by participants throughout the nine-day festival, which was heavily adorned with Palestinian symbols. The Palestinian keffiyeh and pins depicting a map of Palestine without Israel were widely displayed, including on the lapel of the festival president during both the opening and closing ceremonies.

The opening also featured a Palestinian folk dance performance by the same group from Gaza, set to the song “Ana Dammi Falastini” (My Blood is Palestinian), performed in traditional dance style.

The festival’s support for Gaza extended beyond symbols and boycotts to endorsing Palestinian cinematic works. Palestinian cinema held a prominent position on the festival’s agenda, with several films competing in the “Best Palestinian Film” category.

On stage during the closing ceremony, media figure Amr El-Leithy announced that this competition was established in agreement with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states and would be a recurring feature of the festival. He declared: “I call upon all nations to show solidarity with the Palestinian people facing genocide.” The film Transient Dreams by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi won the OIC’s Best Palestinian Film Award, as expected.

In the “Point-Blank” category, 22 short films by Gaza-based directors were in contention. The top prize went to Soft Skin, while Out of Coverage and A School Day took second and third places, respectively. All the films’ casts and crews were exclusively from Gaza.

In the Best Feature Documentary category, the top prize was shared between the Palestinian film State of Love and the Egyptian film Abu Zaabal 89.

THE FESTIVAL showcased 190 films from 50 countries. Do Palestinian films deserve this overwhelming number of awards on artistic merit alone? I leave this question to film critics.

Some might wonder: Is this expression of support an exception due to the war in Gaza and Palestine?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. In Egypt, art is consistently used to fuel hostility and incitement against Israel, distorting the image of the Jewish state. Listing all the artistic works (series and films) reflecting this trend would require a separate article.

Examples include TV series like The Fox, Fall into Seba's Well, The Slap, Spy Wars, Tears in Proud Eyes, and Rafat El-Hagan, along with films like The Spy, 48 Hours in Israel, Mission in Tel Aviv, Well of Betrayal, Spy Trap, Dead Execution, and Cousins. Adding songs and theatrical works to this list makes the festival's program a catastrophic scenario of hatred, demanding urgent reflection on the impact and consequences on the collective consciousness of Egyptians in a country of 110 million people.

At the opening ceremony, renowned Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Nasrallah stated: “Palestinian filmmakers inspire me with their courage through their works.”

Actress Elham Shahin said: “Mr. Hussein Fahmy’s words and support for the Palestinian cause and what is happening in Lebanon—let me say, we stand with you and feel your pain—were very significant.”

Other artists, including Sherif Mounir, Ashraf Abdel Baky, and musician Hany Mehanna, along with media figure Amr El-Leithy, wore pins of the Palestinian flag. Young artists like Heba Magdy, Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, and Omar El-Shenawy also displayed these symbols. Actor Mahmoud Qabil took it a step further, donning the iconic Palestinian keffiyeh on his shoulders, as did young actor Taha El-Desouky.

What is happening in Cairo is a disgrace to art, dragging it into the mud of political conflict. Art should remain above cheap political exploitation, delivering a noble and humanistic message that fosters positivity and paves the way for a viable coexistence formula.

Let me provide an example from within Israel itself. Jerusalem hosted the 25th Annual International Oud Festival from November 21 to 30. One of the highlights of this year’s event was a tribute on November 27 to four legends of Arab music—Umm Kulthum, Abdel Wahab, Farid Al-Atrash, and Abdel Halim Hafez—three of whom are Egyptian.

This is a refined, noble, and exemplary stance that embodies the true spirit of art. If only the Egyptians would act in a similar way to foster coexistence – or at least not incite to Israel’s non-existence.