Amidst the storm of criticism following Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar acceptance speech for his Best International Feature-winner The Zone of Interest, there are outreaches of support emerging from unexpected quarters. Glazer’s remarks, which aimed to highlight the dangers of dehumanization and the misuse of Jewish suffering through the Israeli occupation of Gaza, have ignited a fierce debate within Hollywood and beyond.
Tony Kushner, renowned playwright and frequent Steven Spielberg collaborator, voiced his solidarity with Glazer, praising the filmmaker’s stance against the appropriation of Jewish identity for political purposes. Kushner emphasized the importance of distinguishing between legitimate criticism and the exploitation of historical tragedies.
“What [Glazer’s] saying is so, is so simple,” maintained Kushner. “He’s saying Jewishness, Jewish identity, Jewish history, the history of the Holocaust, the history of Jewish suffering must not be used in a campaign as an excuse for a project of dehumanizing or slaughtering other people. This is a misappropriation of what it means to be a Jew, what the Holocaust meant, and he rejects that.”
He continued, “Who doesn’t agree with that? What kind of person thinks that what’s going on now in Gaza is acceptable? If you find yourself saying out loud and in public, ‘It’s fine with me ,what they’re doing,” because you feel that it’s your only choice as a Jew is to defend everything Israel does, shame on you.”
Dr. Piotr M.A. Cywiński, Director of the Auschwitz Memorial, also offered some much-needed perspective on Glazer’s speech. Cywiński emphasized that the film serves as a profound reflection on humanity’s nature rather than a singular focus on the Holocaust.
While Glazer’s speech has triggered backlash from over a thousand industry professionals who signed a denunciatory letter, there indeed are important figures rallying behind him.
