Israel ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, has written an open letter to fellow countryman and filmmaker Nadav Lapid following his remarks on Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files at IFFI 2022 in Goa. Lapid had called the movie a "vulgar, propaganda" film.
In a series of tweets, the Israeli envoy said he was “extremely hurt to see reactions in India to you that are doubting Schindler’s List, the Holocaust and worse.”
“I unequivocally condemn such statements. There is no justification. It does show the sensitivity of the Kashmir issue here.”
“In Indian culture they say that a guest is like God. You have abused in the worst way the Indian invitation to chair the panel of judges at @IFFIGoa as well as the trust, respect and warm hospitality they have bestowed on you.” Gilon added.
Gilon further tweeted, "The friendship between the people and the states of India and Israel is very strong and will survive the damage you have inflicted. As a human being I feel ashamed and want to apologize to our hosts for the bad manner in which we repaid them for their generosity and friendship".
The Kashmir Files was screened at IFFI on 22 November as a part of the Indian Panorama Section. Lapid criticised the entry saying the jury was "disturbed and shocked" by the film and deemed it “inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.”
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