Oscar Winner’s Brutal Arrest: Zip-Tied & Blindfolded

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A person who witnessed the apprehension of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal recounted the instance when they observed him being restrained with zip-ties and covered with a blindfold by law enforcement officers.

Raviv Rose gave an interview to The Hollywood Reporter while residing in the West Bank. According to Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham, Ballal – one of the co-directors of the Academy Award-winning documentary “No Other Land” along with two other individuals, Khaled Mohammad Shanran and Nasser Shreteh – were assaulted and taken into custody on Monday night. Abraham reported that Ballal sustained injuries to his head and abdomen, with bleeding, following an attack by a mob from his home village of Susiya.

On Tuesday, Abraham posted an update to say that Ballal had been released.

Rose, a Jewish American residing in the area, shares with THR that she observed the consequences of the incident. The 24-year-old is associated with an organization called the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, which she explains engages in “protective presence work.” This type of activism aims to offer solidarity. In her words, their mission is to observe and report on the regular human rights abuses and violence these communities are enduring, as well as to spread their stories. They also provide support by connecting people with lawyers for legal cases, fundraising efforts, and addressing essential needs.

After learning about the event in Susiya, Rose and a group of like-minded advocates journeyed to the village. There, they too encountered violence. “As we fled, settlers began striking us from behind with sticks and clubs,” recounts the activist. “We were attempting to get the attention of the [Israeli] military about the situation, but they showed no interest at all. We scrambled into our vehicle, and it was then that they started pelted the car with stones as well. They continued this stone-throwing until the car was severely damaged.

Rose points out that the police handled the group as though they were suspects. They requested to inspect their passports and the car’s documents, she explains. The activists were informed that if they wished to lodge a complaint, they should go to the police station at a later time.

After that, the group made their way to Ballal’s residence. Upon arrival, it was evident that his family was in prayer, as it was the time for Iftar during Ramadan. Typically, one sits down to eat, finishes the meal, and then prays. It wasn’t clear if they had already eaten, but they were certainly praying inside the house, Rose recalls. Additionally, several other relatives were gathered outside. We soon discovered that Ballal had been attacked. There was a pool of his blood visible outside his front door… We could distinctly see the three individuals – Hamdan Ballal, Khaled Mohammad Shanran, and Nasser Shreteh – they were bound and blindfolded, being loaded into an army vehicle.

According to her account, a group of settlers damaged some family properties, including a water tank and vehicles, after approaching their homes and hurling stones. Hamdan quickly ushered his family to safety before attempting to ask the settlers to depart. Unfortunately, they responded with violence against him. The media outlet THR has viewed photos and video recordings of these events, and Ballal’s legal representative has been contacted for a statement.

Rose points out that the situation in Masafer Yatta is remarkably similar to what has happened before, and it’s only receiving more attention now because Hamdan recently won an Oscar. She explains, “The story is generating a lot of buzz these days because Hamdan has an Oscar, but let me tell you, there have been four incidents of a similar nature in Masafer Yatta since the Oscars alone. Every time we document these events and try to report them, we file police complaints, but unfortunately, nothing seems to change.

On Monday, the IDF provided a contrasting account in their statement, explaining that the violence erupted following instances where multiple assailants threw stones at Israeli civilians, causing damage to their vehicles. Subsequently, both parties exchanged rock-throwing attacks, and upon the arrival of the IDF and Israeli police at the scene of the conflict, several attackers began pelting rocks at the security forces. Both sides confirmed that three Palestinians were apprehended.

Titled “No Other Land“, this documentary, directed jointly by two Israeli and two Palestinian filmmakers, was awarded the best documentary prize at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2. The movie captures the heart-wrenching story of Palestinians being forcibly displaced in Masafer Yatta, as well as the blossoming friendship between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist from 2019 to 2023. Despite its Oscar victory, No Other Land has yet to secure a U.S. distributor.

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2025-03-25 20:54