FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 30, 2024
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
CODEPINK Joins Freedom Forward’s Campaign Demanding Netflix Reinstate the Palestinian Film Collection
LOS GATOS— On Thursday, members of CODEPINK, Freedom Forward, Artists Against Apartheid, and Hindus for Human Rights will deliver a petition and an organizational letter to Netflix headquarters in Los Gatos demanding the streaming service reinstate its Palestinian Stories collection.
On Oct. 13 and 14, 19 films by Palestinian filmmakers or about Palestinian stories were removed from the Netflix platform. Previously, Netflix launched "Palestinian Stories," a Netflix collection of 32 films that would "showcase the depth and diversity of the Palestinian experience, exploring people's lives, dreams, families, friendships, and love." Now, the "Palestinian Stories" Netflix page says “you have lost your way.”
The campaign spearheaded by Freedom Forward has seen massive support from peace and human rights groups. Their letter sent to Netflix’s executive leadership team on Oct. 25 is co-signed by 36 organizations representing hundreds of thousands of members.
CODEPINK will also deliver a petition currently signed by over 12,000 Netflix users, with hundreds more signatures added daily. On Tuesday, they delivered the petition to the home of Netflix’s CEO Ted Sarandos.
"A genocide is not the time to be silent about Palestine, instead we must raise up PALESTINIAN stories and voices AND humanize those being dehumanized. Shame on Netflix for censoring and dehumanizing Palestinians. Taking the side of those carrying out a genocide puts you on the wrong side of history," said Jodie Evans, executive producer of the Netflix film The Square.
In response to the outrage over removing the films, Netflix went on the offensive, claiming the films were removed because the licensing expired. However, they conveniently omit the fact that they can renew these licenses—something they have chosen not to do, or even replace them with the abundance of films that would help viewers understand the plight of the people of Palestine and the 75 years of oppression and apartheid they have been living under. When lies are abundant, people turn to stories to attempt to understand, and that is being denied them.
“Removing Palestinian films from Netflix isn’t just censorship, it’s erasure that, while different in nature, resonates painfully as our people face literal extermination in Gaza,” said CODEPINK Palestine campaign manager Nour Jaghama.
“For Palestinians, storytelling is an act of resistance, a way to preserve our history and identity against Israel’s propagandized narrative that has justified occupation and ethnic cleansing for generations. Netflix is silencing the truth, leaving propaganda that obscures the reality of occupation to go unchecked against Palestinians’ lived experiences,” she continued.
For more information about the petition delivery and the Netflix campaign, please get in touch with Jodie Evans at [email protected].
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