Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar has said he will pull state funding for the country’s national film honors, the Ophir Awards, after the Palestinian anti-war drama The Sea took top prize at the 2025 ceremony Tuesday night.

Shai Carmeli-Pollak’s drama follows a 12-year-old Palestinian boy living under occupation in the West Bank who risks his life, dodging military checkpoints and the police, to go to the beach for the first time in Tel Aviv. Under the system set up by the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, the Ophir best film winner is also automatically Israel’s submission for the Oscars in the best international feature category.

Israeli Culture Minister Miki Zohar has said he will pull state funding for the country’s national film honors, the Ophir Awards, after the Pal

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