An Israeli film about a Palestinian boy sparks the ire of the country's government.

The announcement of The Sea as the winner of the Best Film award at the Ophir (Israeli national film awards, the equivalent of our Goyas) has unleashed an unprecedented political storm. The Israeli film—which tells the story of a 12-year-old boy, Khaled, living in the occupied West Bank and whose desire to one day swim at Tel Aviv's beach is met with resistance at military checkpoints—not only managed to take home the top prize, but also Best Actor for Muhammad Gazawi (the youngest winner ever, at 13) and Best Supporting Actor for Khalifa Natour . The win would make it Israel's representative at the Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category.

However, Culture Minister Miki Zohar 's reaction was vehement. After calling the jury's decision "a slap in the face for Israeli citizens," he also stated that the Ophir Awards had deviated from what he considers national values. "Under my watch, Israeli citizens will not pay out of their own pockets for a ceremony that spits in the face of our heroic soldiers," he added.

"Under my watch, Israeli citizens will not pay out of their own pockets for a ceremony that spits in the face of our heroic soldiers."

As a result, Zohar has also announced the withdrawal of state funding for the awards beginning with the 2026 budget , a measure whose implementation, however, raises legal questions. Several analysts and civil rights organizations have already warned that the minister may not have the authority to cancel subsidies that have been an essential part of the Israeli film ecosystem for years.

The Israel Film and Television Academy , for its part, has defended the jury's verdict, calling The Sea not only a valuable artistic work, but also a significant act that reflects political and human realities that also pertain to the Israeli-Palestinian public discourse. Some producers and filmmakers have pointed out that this episode marks a turning point: if the Ophir Awards ultimately lose their state support, many projects could lose fundamental incentives for their production, distribution, or international visibility.

The minister has announced the withdrawal of state funding for the awards starting with the 2026 budget.

Zohar had already pushed for reforms to direct public support toward more commercially profitable productions, ignoring those deemed by the ministry to be too controversial or politically inconvenient. In this context, The Sea , a film funded— some of it by Israeli public funds —and widely acclaimed both inside and outside Israel, becomes a symbol, for many, of the tension between national identity, historical memory, and creative freedom.

Although not all details of the 2026 budget have been finalized, and although the ministry still has to navigate administrative and legal procedures, the threat has raised alarm bells: the possibility of interrupting state funding for the Ophir Prizes could seriously damage Israel's image in terms of cultural diversity, artistic tolerance, and capacity for dialogue.

For his part, Assaf Amir, president of the Israel Academy of Film and Television, said: "As the interminable war in Gaza takes a terrible toll in death and destruction, the ability to see the 'other '... offers little hope. In the face of the Israeli government's attacks on Israeli cinema and culture, and calls from sections of the international film community to boycott us, the selection of The Sea is a powerful and resounding response."

During the ceremony, the film's producer , Baher Agbariya , said the film was about "every child's right to live in peace, a basic right that we will not give up", but Zohar has called the Ophir Awards "shameful and distant".

The announcement of The Sea as the winner of the Best Film award at the Ophir (Israeli national film awards, the equivalent of our Goyas) has unleashed an unprecedented political storm. The Israeli film—which tells the story of a 12-year-old boy, Khaled, living in the occupied West Bank and whose desire to one day swim at Tel Aviv's beach is met with resistance at military checkpoints—not only managed to take home the top prize, but also Best Actor for Muhammad Gazawi (the youngest winner ever, at 13) and Best Supporting Actor for Khalifa Natour . The win would make it Israel's representative at the Oscars in the Best International Feature Film category.