Oscar-Winning Palestinian Director Basel Adra Addresses UN, Condemns Israel’s ‘Brutal Occupation’ in West Bank

Palestinian filmmaker Basel Adra, who recently won an Academy Award for co-directing the powerful documentary No Other Land, delivered a poignant and urgent speech at the United Nations on Thursday. He addressed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the West Bank, where Israeli military actions and settler violence have intensified, particularly in Masafer Yatta — a Palestinian region long targeted by displacement efforts.

Adra was invited by the UN Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to speak during a special screening of his Oscar-winning documentary. The film highlights decades of systemic oppression, land seizures, and the forced displacement of Palestinians, especially in areas deemed “military zones” by Israeli authorities.

“I’ve been documenting this violence since I was a teenager,” said Adra. “Bulldozers would roll into our villages, destroying homes, schools, and lives. I picked up the camera to make sure the world sees the truth — that we exist, that we are suffering under a brutal occupation.”

No Other Land captures raw, first-hand footage of home demolitions, school destructions, and repeated provocations by Israeli settlers. The scenes are deeply personal, as Adra himself and his family are shown navigating the daily horrors of life in occupied territory. Despite international recognition and awards, including the Oscar win, Adra says nothing has changed.

“Even after the Oscars, we went back to the same reality,” he explained. “In fact, things have only worsened. The attacks are more frequent, and the silence more deafening.”

The documentary centers around Masafer Yatta, a cluster of villages in the southern West Bank that Israel designated as a military training zone in the 1980s. In 2022, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled in favor of the military, permitting the expulsion of Palestinians from eight villages — a decision that human rights groups decried as ethnic cleansing.

Adra’s fellow co-director, Hamdan Ballal, was recently assaulted by Israeli settlers and detained by Israeli police following the film’s Oscar win. He alleges he was beaten during his arrest, a grim reminder of the risks Palestinian filmmakers face for speaking out.

The violence has only escalated since the latest military escalation in Gaza, with settlers emboldened to carry out more aggressive attacks in the West Bank. Rights organizations have raised alarm over the increase in settler attacks, which often go unpunished by Israeli authorities.

Despite the film’s critical success, No Other Land has faced distribution challenges in the United States, where it has only been screened in a limited number of theaters.

The West Bank, occupied since 1967, is home to around 3 million Palestinians and nearly 500,000 Israeli settlers living in communities deemed illegal under international law.

Adra’s message to the world was clear: cinematic acclaim is not enough. What Palestinians need is action, justice, and recognition of their right to live freely on their land.