Israel’s Cabinet has decided to lift the total ban in existence until now against films produced in Germany, and to permit the censorship board in the future to judge such movies on their merits, just as other foreign pictures are judged.
The total ban on the German-language films had been in force here until 1956. However, films co-produced by German makers with Austrian or Swiss or other producers have been allowed since. Minister of the Interior Moshe Shapiro told the Cabinet that the ban against all German-made films had prevented the showing of many movies of a definite anti-Nazi nature.
Under the new decision, the ban is still to be exercised against German motion pictures made between 1933 and 1945, all German films “with Nazi background” and films “including participants with Nazi past.”
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