The film *Tantura* revisits allegations of a massacre in the Palestinian village of Tantura during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. The film is based on the 1998 master's thesis by Israeli researcher Teddy Katz, which claimed that Israeli forces killed numerous unarmed Arab civilians in Tantura after the village's surrender. Katz's work relied heavily on oral testimonies from both Arab villagers and Israeli soldiers. However, Katz's thesis faced significant challenges. After it was published, veterans of the Alexandroni Brigade, the unit accused of the massacre, sued Katz for defamation, asserting that his claims were fabricated.
During the investigation and legal proceedings that followed, Katz retracted his allegations in a written and signed public statement that reads: *"After checking and re-checking the evidence, I am now certain beyond any doubt that there is no basis at all for the allegation that after Tantura surrendered, there was any killing of residents by the Alexandroni Brigade, or any other fighting unit of the IDF. I would like to clarify that what I wrote was misunderstood, and that I did not mean to suggest that there had been a massacre in Tantura, nor do I believe that there ever was a massacre at Tantura."* Subsequently, the University of Haifa, Katz' university, appointed a committee to review his thesis, which found numerous inaccuracies and fabrications, leading to its disqualification. Katz was allowed to graduate with a "non-research" degree (what we in the United States often call "ABD"). ᐧ On Sat, Feb 22, 2025 at 11:37 AM Stephen R. Low < [email protected]> wrote: > *Israeli Film Academy* > *2022 Nominee for Best Documentary **Award* > > *Sundance Film Festival* > *2022 Grand Jury Prize Nominee (World Cinema – Documentary)* > *___________________________* > > *Tantura* > *a 20**22 Israeli documentary by Alon Schwarz* > > > > > > *“The lie at the heart of Israel’s Founding Myth”* > *~* *The Intercept* *~* > > > > *Two screenings in Lincoln, MA—a weekday evening and a Sunday afternoon.* > > - *Thursday, February 20 at 7 PM at Bemis Hall, 15 Bedford Road* > - *Sunday, February 23 at 2 PM at the Lincoln Public Library, 3 > Bedford Road* > > > > *The film’s website: **https://www.tantura-film.com/* > <https://www.tantura-film.com/> > * Trailer: **https://youtu.be/_alRp9m4M-c* <https://youtu.be/_alRp9m4M-c> > > > > > [image: About the Film In the war of 1948, hundreds of Palestinian > villages were depopulated. Israelis call it “The War of Independence.” > Palestinians call it 'Nakba."' When Israeli graduate student Teddy Katz > meticulously documented a massacre of Palestinian civilians in Tanura, he > was initially celebrated for his groundbreaking work. But soon, he was > stripped of his degrees and was publicly shamed as a fraudulent traitor. > Decades later, incendiary new evidence emerged to corroborate Teddy's > initial findings, not just vindicating him, but raising profound questions > about how Israelis — and we all — deal with the darker chapters of history. > Official selection: Sundance Film Festival] > > *From the Critics:* > > > *How to Cover Up a Massacre* > > Zionism must evolve in order to survive, writes the director of the > documentary 'Tantura.' Israelis should be strong enough to acknowledge the > suffering of the other side. Recognizing the Nakba is a first step toward a > future of peace. > > *--Haaretz* > *Old Palestinian Wound Resurfaces at Israeli Resort* > > Israeli soldiers had long denied killing prisoners after capturing an Arab > seaside town, days after Israel’s creation. A new film provides fresh > evidence — reopening a debate about Israel’s foundational story*.* > > *--New York Times* > > > > > > Regards, > Steve Low > > > -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to [email protected]. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
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