Erasure’: Netflix succumbs to Zionist lobby pressure, removes Palestinian films…
By Maryam Qarehgozlou
Following Netflix’s decision to not renew the licenses for its “Palestinian Stories” collection, under the pressure of the Zionist lobby, the streaming giant has faced global backlash.
While the California-headquartered subscription video-on-demand streaming service claims that the decision was part of its “standard licensing practices,” pro-Palestine campaigners remain unconvinced and have joined a growing movement to cancel their subscriptions in protest.
The removal of at least 24 films that explore Palestinian narratives and experiences from the streaming service amounts to a lack of Palestinian representation on the platform, according to activists.
As a form of protest and to express solidarity with Palestinians amid the year-long genocidal war, a growing number of Netflix users have started canceling their subscriptions.
They believe subscriptions to Netflix equate to financially supporting the “erasure of Palestine.”
Many former Netflix users say the streaming platform is perpetuating harmful stereotypes, promoting biased narratives, and contributing to the marginalization of already oppressed Palestinians.
The streaming giant has been accused of complicity in the Israeli-American genocidal war on Gaza.
Palestinian Stories on Netflix
Netflix launched the “Palestinian Stories” collection in October 2021, a curated selection of films showcasing the talent of renowned filmmakers from the Arab and Muslim world, and offering viewers a glimpse into the rich and diverse stories of the region.
“The collection is a tribute to the creativity and passion of the Arab film industry as Netflix continues to invest in stories from the Arab world,” read a Netflix announcement at the time.
The collection was initially slated to feature 32 films, with plans to add more over time.
However, as of October 14, nearly all films from Netflix’s “Palestinian Stories” collection have been removed much to the chagrin of streaming service users across the world.
Streamers in the United States are left with only one available film: Lina Al Abed’s 2019 documentary “Ibrahim: A Fate to Define,” which deals with the circumstances surrounding the enforced disappearance of Abed’s father.
Following The Intercept’s investigation using various countries’ IP addresses, it was discovered that Netflix had removed many titles from its “Palestinian Stories” collection across the globe.
In some parts of the world, like the Israeli-occupied territories and Korea, the collection’s landing page has been entirely inaccessible.
Upon accessing the “Palestinian Stories” collection page with an Israeli IP address, the entire category seems to have vanished, with the URL redirecting to a 404 error page.
The page previously featured 28 films.
Among the notable films removed from Netflix’s “Palestinian Stories” collection are Mai Masri’s Children of Shatila and Basil Khalil’s Ave Maria.
Masri’s documentary offers a poignant look into the lives of two children living in a refugee camp, while Khalil’s satirical short film follows Palestinian nuns assisting an Israeli settler family.
‘Marginalizing Palestinian voices’
The removal of Palestinian stories from Netflix has taken on a heightened significance against the backdrop of the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, with the Israeli regime trying to ethnically cleanse Palestinians by bombing and starving them for more than one year.
The humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian territory is dire, with Israeli genocidal actions killing close to 43,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children.
The coastal territory’s entire population of 2.3 million is facing displacement daily, while the regime’s genocidal tactics, including weaponized starvation, threaten to push the region towards famine.
Activists and rights groups have launched petitions urging Netflix to reinstate the Palestinian films it deleted, with many accusing it of coming under the pressure of influential Zionist lobbies.
“Storytelling is a crucial aspect of keeping Palestinian history alive — Netflix is literally erasing Palestinians’ stories and perspectives from popular culture,” anti-war group Code Pink wrote in a petition posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The petition warned that Netflix’s deletion of its entire catalog of Palestinian films will marginalize Palestinian voices at a time when over two million Palestinians in Gaza are being subjected to genocide by the Israeli regime using US-made and US-supplied bombs.
“The systemic erasure of Palestinian voices prevents broader audiences from understanding the reality of Israel’s brutal occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and now, the genocide of Palestinians,” the petition added.
