France condemns attack by 'extremist' Israeli settlers on Oscar-winning Palestinian director
‘Israeli authorities must punish perpetrators of this violence, which continues with complete impunity,’ says Foreign Ministry
ISTANBUL
France condemned an attack by Israeli settlers on Oscar-winning Palestinian director Hamdan Ballal in the occupied West Bank.
“France condemns the growing violence committed by extremist settlers against the Palestinian population throughout the West Bank, especially in Masafer Yatta and Susya,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Highlighting that No Other Land was awarded a Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ Prize for Courage in Journalism, the ministry specifically condemned the attack against the filmmaker.
“The Israeli authorities must punish the perpetrators of this violence, which continues with complete impunity, and must protect Palestinian civilians,” the statement added.
The ministry also reiterated that settlement activity violates international law and noted that the International Court of Justice has adopted sanctions against “extremist settlers.”
Ballal was injured after being attacked by Israeli settlers who seized Palestinian lands and assaulted residents in his home village of Susya.
No Other Land, which documents the struggle of Palestinians against Israel’s policies of demolition and displacement in Masafer Yatta, won this year’s Oscar for Best Documentary.
