When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal: Israeli co-director of ‘No Other Land’
Powerful victory speech of No Other Land's makers take centre stage at Oscars
Los Angeles: As directors Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, and Rachel Szor took the stage to accept the Academy Award for Best Documentary for No Other Land, they used the global platform to deliver a powerful plea for justice and peace in Gaza.
The acceptance speech by Abraham, an Israeli journalist, and Adra, a Palestinian journalist and activist, became a defining moment of the ceremony, as they called for an end to the ongoing war and the displacement of Palestinians.
Adra, who has been documenting the realities of occupation and displacement, spoke about the suffering of the Palestinian people and urged the world to take action. “We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people,” he declared, his voice filled with emotion. He also spoke about his personal experiences, revealing that he had recently become a father. “About two months ago, I became a father, and my hope for my daughter is that she will not have to live the same life I’m living now. ‘No Other Land’ reflects the harsh reality that we have been enduring for decades and still resist,” he said.
Abraham, who co-directed the documentary alongside Adra, emphasized the collaborative nature of the project between Palestinians and Israelis, underscoring the power of unity in storytelling. “We made this film, Palestinians and Israelis, because together, our voices are stronger,” he said. Addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the October 7 attack by Hamas, he added, “We see each other—the destruction of Gaza and its people, which must end, the Israeli hostages, brutally taken in the crime of October 7, who must be freed.”
Highlighting the systemic inequality between Israelis and Palestinians, Abraham spoke about the harsh realities faced by his co-director. “When I look at Basel, I see my brother, but we are unequal. We live in a regime where I am free under civilian law, and Basel is under military laws that destroy his life and that he cannot control,” he pointed out, calling for a political resolution that recognizes the rights of both people. “There is a different path, a political solution without ethnic supremacy, with national rights for both of our people,” he stated, making a strong appeal for peace based on equality rather than dominance.
Criticizing U.S. foreign policy and its approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict, Abraham questioned global leaders for failing to recognize the intertwined fate of both communities. “Why can’t you see that we are intertwined, that my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe?” he asked.
The film ‘No Other Land’ documents the displacement of a Palestinian family from their home in the West Bank, showcasing the human cost of occupation. Made by a collective of four Palestinian and Israeli activists, the documentary serves as both a piece of storytelling and an act of resistance against ongoing injustices.
The film, a co-production between Palestine and Norway, premiered at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2024, where it won the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary Film and the Berlinale Documentary Film Award.
#Oscars2025 🇵🇸 @basel_adra: “We call on the world to take serious actions to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.” #NoOtherLand pic.twitter.com/2yVfryoAWC
— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) March 3, 2025
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LoP Ashoka targets CM govt over corruption, says being 'shameless' in public life not forgivable
Bengaluru (PTI): Targeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka on corruption, BJP leader R Ashoka on Friday said, being foolish was forgivable, but being "shameless" in public life was not.
The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly claimed that in just 30 months of its tenure, the Congress administration has broken every previous record on corruption-related controversies.
He was responding to Siddaramaiah's post on 'X' on Thursday hitting back at the BJP, stating that Upa Lokayukta Justice Veerappa's claims of "63 per cent corruption" were based on his report in November 2019, when BJP's B S Yediyurappa was the CM.
"But Ashoka, without understanding the Upa Lokayukta's statement properly, has ended up tying the BJP's own bells of sins onto our heads and has effectively shot himself in the foot," the CM had said, as he accused Ashoka of foolishness for trying to twist Veerappa's statement to target the current government.
Responding, Ashoka said, "it is one thing to be called foolish in politics, that can be forgiven."
"But in public life, especially in the Chief Minister's chair, one must never become shameless," Ashoka posted on 'X' on Friday addressing Siddaramaiah.
Noting that the CM himself had admitted on the floor of the Assembly that a Rs 87 crore scam took place in the Valmiki Development Corporation, he said that when a CM acknowledges such a massive irregularity inside the floor of the House, the natural expectation is immediate action and accountability.
"But instead of taking responsibility, you continue in office as if nothing has happened. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
Pointing out that the CM's Economic Advisor and senior Congress MLA Basavaraja Rayareddy had publicly stated that under Congress rule, Karnataka has become No.1 in corruption, Ashoka said, "Yet, you still cling to the Chief Minister's chair without a moment of introspection. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness."
Senior Congress MLA C R Patil had exposed the "money for House" racket in the Housing Department and even warned that the government would collapse if the details he has were made public, Ashoka said.
"Despite such serious allegations from within your own party (Congress), you neither initiated an inquiry nor acted against the concerned minister. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," Ashoka asked the CM.
Highlighting the "40 percent commission" allegation Congress made against the previous BJP government, the opposition leader said, the commission that the Siddaramaiah government appointed concluded that the accusation was baseless.
"After your own panel demolished your own claim, what moral right do you have to continue repeating that allegation. What should the people of Karnataka call this, if not sheer shamelessness," he asked.
For the last two and a half years, Karnataka has been 'drowning' in corruption, scandals, irregularities and allegations across departments. Ashoka said, "If I begin listing every case that emerged under your government, even 24 hours would not be enough."
"And the most tragic aspect of your administration is this: the unbearable pressure, corruption demands and administrative harassment under your government pushed several officers and contractors into extreme distress - including the suicide of Chandrasekharan which exposed the Valmiki Development Corporation scam - a sign of how deeply broken the system has become under your watch," he said.
Instead of fixing this hopeless environment, the government has tried to bury every complaint and silence every voice, he charged.
"Being foolish is forgivable, but being shameless in public life is definitely not."
"When your own ministers admit scams, when your own advisors certify Karnataka as No.1 in corruption, and when your own MLAs expose rackets inside your departments - clinging to power without accountability is not leadership. It is shamelessness in its purest form." PTI KSU
Earlier on Thursday Ashoka had demanded that the corruption case and allegations in the state against the Congress government be handed over to a CBI investigation, citing a reported statement by Upalokaykta Justice Veerappa alleging "63 per cent corruption", following which Siddaramaiah hit back at the BJP leader.
