LONDON: Lebanon has banned the screening of Steven Spielberg’s latest movie ‘The Post’, citing Spielberg’s associations with Israel.
According to the Independent, the authorities of Lebanon has blocked the film, starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, because it failed to pass an Economy Ministry committee and a Lebanese censorship board.
The decision was made entirely on the basis of Spielberg’s interactions with Israel.
They decided to ban the film in accordance with laws obliging Lebanon to enforce the Arab League’s boycott of Israel.
The matter has now been transferred to Lebanon's Minister of Interior and Municipalities, who could still overturn the decision.
This is not the first time such decision has been taken by Lebanon. Last year they banned ‘Wonder Woman’ actress Gal Gadot, who is from Israel and also served in the Israeli military.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the ‘Bridge of Spies’ helmer has said that no comment can be issued on the matter as the company has not been officially told by the Lebanese distributor that the film will not be released there.
Many free-speech advocates in the country noted the irony of banning a movie whose plot promotes press freedoms.
Gino Raidy of the March advocacy group wrote in his blog, “Why is The Post on the chopping block? Is it because it idolises journalists who stand up to the powers that be when they do wrong, and choose truth and justice over government bullying?”
‘The Post’ revolves around a cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher, Kay Graham (Streep) of The Washington Post and its hard-driving editor, Ben Bradlee (Hanks), to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government in publishing the Pentagon Papers.