The mayor of Miami Beach has rescinded his proposal to evict and defund a local independent theater over its screening of an Oscar-winning documentary on Israeli demolitions in the West Bank following a public outcry.
In his original resolution last week, Mayor Steven Meiner, who is Jewish, described the film titled “No Other Land” as antisemitic and proposed that the independent theater that screened it, O Cinema, have its lease in the Miami Beach Historic City Hall revoked and its funding withdrawn.
But at a Miami Beach City Commission meeting Wednesday, Meiner deferred to an alternative proposal calling for the theater to “highlight a fair and balanced viewpoint,” according to the Associated Press.
The alternative proposal came after five of the city’s six commissioners announced they would not support Meiner’s effort to evict the theater. Earlier in the week, over 600 filmmakers signed a letter in support of the theater.
A vast majority of attendees at Wednesday’s meeting opposed the eviction proposal, according to the Miami Herald.
“The community has spoken clearly today: They will not tolerate censorship of the arts,” Miriam Haskell, a lawyer representing O Cinema on behalf of the Community Justice Project, a legal aid group, said to the Miami Herald. “We will remain vigilant against future retaliation against O Cinema and other cultural institutions for choosing to portray or not portray a particular viewpoint.”
“No Other Land” won the Academy Award for Best Documentary earlier this month. It has drawn criticism from Israeli officials and their supporters, as well as pro-Palestinian activists who oppose working with Israelis.
O Cinema screened the film earlier this month after Meiner sent a letter to the theater’s CEO, Vivian Marthell, urging her to block its release.
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In his letter, Meiner referenced Miami Beach’s large Jewish population and described the film as “a one-sided propaganda attack on the Jewish people.”
On Wednesday, Meiner described his original efforts as a “public safety measure” in response to rising antisemitism but praised the resolution that passed.
“I really am appreciative of the passion that we saw today,” Mayor Meiner said to the Miami Herald. “Unity means we are striving for what’s best for our city and our community.”