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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Rupee hits all-time low for second time in a week
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 31 paise to settle at 91.99 against the US dollar on Wednesday, touching the lowest closing level for the second time in less than a week, amid increased month-end demand for the greenback.
Forex traders said the rupee opened higher as the US dollar index softened and a long-awaited trade breakthrough with Europe offered quiet reassurance. However, increased month-end demand for the American currency as well as the ongoing geopolitical tensions dented investors' sentiments.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 91.60 and touched an early high of 91.50, but pared all the gains to touch an intra-day low of 91.99 against the greenback.
The domestic unit settled 31 paise down, revisiting its lowest-ever closing level of 91.99 against the greenback. The Indian currency previously ended at this level on January 23 when it also hit its all-time intraday low of 92 against the US dollar.
On Tuesday, the rupee rebounded from its all-time low levels and gained 22 paise to close at 91.68 against the US dollar.
Analysts said the rupee opened higher as the US dollar index softened and a long-awaited trade breakthrough with Europe bolstered investor sentiment.
India and the European Union on Tuesday announced the conclusion of negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA), under which a number of domestic sectors such as apparel, chemicals and footwear will get duty-free entry into the 27-nation bloc, while the EU will get access to the Indian market at concessional duty for cars and wines, an official said.
The deal has been dubbed the "mother of all deals" as it will create a market of about 2 billion people.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.07 per cent lower at 96.14.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.43 per cent lower at USD 67.28 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 487.20 points to settle at 82,344.68, while Nifty surged 167.35 points to 25,342.75.
Foreign Institutional Investors turned net buyers and purchased equities worth Rs 480.26 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
