AhlulBayt News Agency: A coalition of nearly 400 individuals and organizations has called for the cancellation of the Israeli Film Festival scheduled to take place from September 16 to 20 at Silverbird Cinema in Accra Mall, citing solidarity with Palestinians and opposition to “genocide and apartheid” by the Israeli regime.
The campaign, which includes prominent Ghanaian figures such as journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr, former CHRAJ Commissioner Emile Short, filmmaker Nii Kwate Owoo, and academic Audrey Gadzekpo, accuses the festival of serving as a vehicle for Israeli propaganda amid ongoing violence in Gaza. Public figures including Yao Graham, Kwarne Karikari, and youth activist Hardi Yakubu have also joined the protest.
Organizers argue that hosting the festival during a time of humanitarian crisis in Gaza amounts to complicity in human rights violations. Citing reports of over 200,000 Palestinian deaths due to military strikes, starvation, and blockades, the coalition warns that failure to cancel the event could lead to widespread boycotts of Silverbird Cinema and its sponsors.
“Ghana has always stood with liberation struggles across the world. Today, as Palestinians face ethnic cleansing and genocide, we must not remain silent,” the coalition said in a public statement.
The protest movement is supported by groups including BDS Ghana, the Red Vests Movement, the Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG), and South Africa’s Free Palestine Movement. Activists are urging Ghanaians to boycott festival sponsors, participate in peaceful demonstrations at the cinema, and amplify pro-Palestinian messages across media and community platforms.
With growing public pressure and high-profile endorsements, the campaign is rapidly gaining momentum and could become one of Ghana’s most visible solidarity movements in recent years.
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