Orwa Nyrabia, the award-winning documentarian who has served as artistic director of the International Documentary Film Festival since 2018, is facing blistering criticism and calls for his resignation after being captured on video applauding as protesters interrupted the Amsterdam-based fest’s opening ceremony while holding a banner proclaiming, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free,” a phrase used as call for the elimination of Israel.

Sixteen high-profile members of the Israeli film community signed letter addressed to IDFA and the international film industry in which they expressed “uttermost dismay, disappointment and concern” at Nyrabia’s conduct on the world’s largest documentary film festival.

“We see this as a personal attack against us, we call on the director of IDFA, and on its board of directors, to clearly and resoundingly distance themselves, reject and denounce these calls for violence and withdraw any platform from those who knowingly incite for the annihilation of Israel, instigating violence and giving rise to antisemitic sentiments against Jews everywhere.”

“This is not the way to express support for the just struggle of the Palestinian people,” said Noam Pinchas. “It’s a way to encourage hatred and death.” And Duki Dror opined, “It’s not just an anti-Israel sentiment from IDFA’s artistic director Orwa Nyrabia, but his support for crime against humanity.”

Rick Trank, the Oscar-winning documentarian who runs the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Moriah Films division, is calling for Nyrabia’s resignation. He said: “The IDFA is supposed to be an international gathering of documentary filmmakers where a diverse range of films expressing the gamut of opinions are presented. It is not supposed to be a partisan event calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.

85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 Jewish pogrom

What is even more disturbing is that this call took place in Amsterdam on the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the 1938 pogrom in Austria and Germany which saw synagogues, Jewish schools and institutions and Jewish businesses firebombed and thousands of Jews arrested, beaten and murdered.”

Jewish authorities in the Netherlands have cautioned Dutch Jews to be careful about wearing anything in public that identifies them as Jews as antisemitic incidents have been occurring at the most alarming rate since the Holocaust. Many Jews have stopped wearing yarmulkes and stars of David in public and others have removed the mezuzahs from the exterior doorways of their homes.”

Nyrabia should step down immediately

Trank said: “Mr. Nyrabia should step down immediately from his position at the IDFA. He has shown that he cannot be a fair advocate for all documentary filmmakers, especially Jewish and Israeli documentarians. His actions have marred the reputation of a once respected film forum.”

IDFA: “That slogan does not represent us, and we do not endorse it in any way. We are truly sorry that it was hurtful to many.”