Published: 19 November 2019
Last updated: 4 March 2024
The corruption has occurred because governments have enacted the laws to reflect the values of the occupation and the courts then follow those laws, Richter said at a Q & A session, hosted by The Jewish Independent, that followed the JIFF screening of the controversial film at Classic Cinemas in Elsternwick.
Advocate tells the story of Israeli human rights lawyer, Lea Tsemel, who has represented Palestinians for five decades. Her clients range from terror suspects to non-violent demonstrators, prompting many Israelis to consider her beyond the pale.
The film has won several international awards, including Best Documentary at the recent Antenna Documentary Festival in Sydney, but has been repeatedly condemned by the Israeli culture minister, Miri Regev, for “glorifying terrorists”.
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Just this month, as Israeli film festival cancelled its screening of the film following pressure from Regev, which prompted the Israeli Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, to attack the cancellation. It “has no legal basis and violates freedom of expression,” Mandelblit said.
Richter, who is renowned for representing controversial defendants, including most recently, Cardinal George Pell, said he found Tsemel “inspiring and frightening for me because I can’t answer the question: would I be able to be as courageous and steadfast if the need arose here?”
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The barrister added that former Israeli prime ministers Menachem Begin and Yitzchak Shamir would be labelled as terrorists today, and that their actions helped create a system that is pursuing a path towards apartheid.
His comments drew often heated exchanges with some members of the audience, who challenged Richter’s interpretation of the history of the conflict and the responsibility that past Palestinian leaders carry for the current situation.
The controversy over Advocate, directed by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche, began in May when it was named best picture at Tel Aviv’s annual Docaviv film festival, which led to the initial attack by the Israeli government.
The fallout continued when Israel’s state lottery, in response to a campaign from a group of bereaved families, declared it would withdraw its funding for future grants given to best picture winners at the festival in the wake of Advocate’s award.
Israeli filmmakers and artists protested against the backlash, which led to a backdown on the funding withdrawal.
Photo: Robert Richter QC and The Jewish Independent Editor, Michael Visontay, in conversation at the screening (Uri Windt)
