NEW DELHI: A day after Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid criticised Hindi film The Kashmir Files at IFFI, the country’s envoy to India Naor Gilon slammed him, saying he should be “ashamed” as he had “abused in the worst way” the Indian invitation to him to chair the panel of judges at the film festival.
“Lapid can feel free to use liberty to sound your criticism of what you dislike in Israel but no need to reflect your frustration on other countries. You will go back to Israel thinking that you are bold and made a statement. We, the representatives of Israel, would stay here. You should see our DM boxes following your “bravery” and what implications it may have on the team under my responsibility,’’ Gilon tweeted.
In an open letter to Nadav, Gilon said that Lapid should be ashamed as he has abused the Indian invitation. “In Indian culture they say that a guest is like God. You have abused in the worst way the Indian invitation to chair the panel of judges at @IFFIGoa as well as the trust, respect and warm hospitality they have bestowed on you,” Gilon added.
He also said that India invited the members of Israel entertainment industry to celebrate the love in India towards Fauda and Israel. “I suspect that this is maybe also one of the reasons they invited you as an Israeli and me as the ambassador of Israel.
I understand your need in retrospect to “justify” your behaviour but I can’t understand why you told afterwards that the minister and I said on stage that there is similarity between our countries because “we fight a similar enemy and reside in a bad neighbourhood,” Gilon added.