‘The Kashmir Files’ row: Israel envoy's open letter to IFFI jury head, 'you should be ashamed’

Naor Gilon, Israel ambassador to India, has called out his fellow countryman and filmmaker Nadav Lapid for calling 'The Kashmir Files' ‘propaganda and vulgar’ at the 53rd International Film Festival of India.

In a series of tweets, Gilon said that Lapid should be ashamed of his remark on the Vivek Agnihotri directorial as it is ‘insensitive and presumptuous to speak about historic events before deeply studying them and which are an open wound in India because of many of the involved are still around and still paying the price.

The Israeli envoy said he was ‘extremely hurt to see reactions in India to you that are doubting Schindler’s List, the Holocaust and worse.’

‘I unequivocally condemn such statements. There is no justification. It does show the sensitivity of the Kashmir issue here,’ he tweeted.

The ambassador also accused Lapid of abusing the Indian invitation to chair the panel of judges and the trust, respect, and warm hospitality bestowed by them.

‘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 said.

Gilon added that the friendship between the people and the states of India and Israel is very strong and will survive the damage Lapid has inflicted. He said he feels ashamed and wants to apologise to the hosts for the bad manner in which they repaid them for their generosity and friendship.

'The Kashmir Files' was screened at the 53rd International Film Festival of India on November 22. At the closing ceremony, Lapid criticised the entry saying the jury was ‘disturbed and shocked’ by the film and called it ‘inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.’

Also Watch| IFFI jury head calls 'The Kashmir Files' 'vulgar and propaganda' movie on stage. Watch