Julian Schnabel’s movie “Miral,” which “definitely presents the Israeli presence in Gaza and the West Bank as an occupation and an illegal one at that,” was filmed in Israel and the West Bank, with many Israelis working on the production (“Schnabel’s ‘Miral’ Falls Flat,” March 25). Israel, the most hated country on earth, is free enough to produce filmmakers who create works expressing negative views of their country. Israel is democratic enough to provide a safe environment for such artists.
The Unites States, another free country, was the site of many anti-government demonstrations during the Vietnam War. However, when the country was in real danger during World War II, as Israel is today, there were no people who openly expressed opposition to the country’s policies. An anti-war movie analogous to Schnabel’s would have been unthinkable. The presence of Schnabel, who is Jewish, and the production of “Miral,” are evidence of Israel’s greatness and goodness.
George Jochnowitz
Manhattan
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