“We live in a regime where I am free and Basel is under military law.” With these words, Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham stood alongside Palestinian activist Basel Adra at the 97th Academy Awards, accepting the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for No Other Land.
Directed by Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor and Hamdan Ballal, No Other Land is a deeply personal and politically charged documentary. It exposes the harsh reality of Israel’s occupation, forced evictions, and apartheid policies in the West Bank.
While No Other Land had already gained recognition at the Berlin International Film Festival, the European Film Awards, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, its Oscar win is historic, not just for its filmmaking, but for its bold acknowledgment of Palestinian suffering on a global stage.
At a time when Gaza is being bombarded, the West Bank is under siege, and Israeli settlements continue to expand, this win serves as a moment of truth-telling amid widespread silence and complicity.
A Documentary That Captures the Realities of Displacement
Filmed over a period of five years, No Other Land follows the lives of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, a region in the occupied West Bank. Through the lens of Basel Adra, a Palestinian journalist and activist, the documentary captures the emotional and physical toll of forced evictions, settler violence, and military oppression. It also shows the alliance, friendship and mutual support/friendship formed between Basel and Yuval, sending a reminder humanity prevails and such support can go a long way.
The film’s central focus is the 2022 Israeli Supreme Court ruling, which authorized the eviction of over 1,000 Palestinian residents from Masafer Yatta—one of the largest forced displacements in decades. Since then, Israeli bulldozers have demolished homes, schools, and entire communities, leaving Palestinian families stranded with no place to go.
Adra’s Oscar acceptance speech laid bare this painful reality.
“I became a father, and I hope my daughter will not have to live the same life I’m living now, always feeling… always, always feeling subversive violence, home demolitions, and forced displacement.”
Decades of Oppression: From the Nakba to Today
The suffering depicted in No Other Land is not new. It is part of a 75-year-long history of Palestinian displacement and dispossession, beginning with the Nakba (“catastrophe”) of 1948, when over 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes to make way for the newly established state of Israel. Since then, Israeli policies have continued to displace, control, and suppress Palestinian communities
The brutal realities of the Israeli occupation took an even darker turn after October 7, 2023. The war has resulted in the displacement of over 2 million people, leaving hospitals, schools, and entire neighborhoods in ruins.
Abraham’s Oscar speech challenges the ongoing complicity of Western governments, including the United States and European powers, which continue to fund and arm Israel despite clear evidence of war crimes and human rights violations.
A Historic Oscar Win: Breaking the Silence on Palestinian Suffering
The win is a breakthrough moment for Palestinian voices in a world that often silences them. This win is significant because it forces global attention on the occupation. With mainstream media often sanitizing or ignoring Palestinian suffering, this film provides undeniable documentation of life under Israeli military rule.
The film exposes how international law has failed Palestinians, as Israeli policies continue to violate UN resolutions, human rights conventions, and the Geneva Conventions. It amplifies Palestinian resistance.
The Oscar speech by Basel Adra and Yuval Abraham was not just an acceptance of an award—it was an indictment of the world’s silence. It directly named apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and the violent realities of the occupation, words rarely heard on such a mainstream global platform. Their words challenged global leaders, Hollywood, and media outlets, many of whom have remained silent or complicit in Israeli aggression. The speech was a powerful moment of truth-telling in a space that often avoids political confrontation.
Beyond recognition, this Oscar win has practical implications for Palestinian advocacy. It bringsgreater visibility to the struggle, especially at a time when social media platforms and governments are censoring pro-Palestinian voices. It’s A renewed call for action from activists, policymakers, and global audiences.
An Oscar cannot stop the bombings in Gaza or prevent another Palestinian family from losing their home in the West Bank. But it does something crucial as it ensures that their stories are heard.
As Palestinian communities continue to face military raids, home demolitions, and mass displacement, No Other Land stands as a powerful reminder that justice is long overdue. Freedom is long overdue.
Sources: OHCHR, UNRWA, Variety
