Jewish outcry on SBS series

[shaayecanaan]

A LEADING Jewish body is seeking to halt promotion and DVD sales of SBS series The Promise, a drama set in Israel and the occupied territories that it likened to Nazi propaganda.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry said the British-made drama, inspired by accounts of British soldiers who served in Palestine during the 1940s, was anti-Semitic and in direct violation of the SBS code covering prejudice, racism and discrimination.

The four-part series, which screened late last year, depicts a young British woman retracing the footsteps of her grandfather, a soldier in the final years of the British Mandate in Palestine.

In its 31-page complaint to the SBS ombudsman, the council said historical inaccuracies and ''consistently negative portrayals'' of the central Jewish characters made the series comparable to the 1940 Nazi film Jud Suss.

It contended that identifiably Muslim characters would not be similarly portrayed by SBS.
In a letter to the broadcaster, the council's executive director, Peter Wertheim, said the complaint also related to any marketing or sale of the DVD, which would be ''inappropriate'' while the determination was pending.

The TV drama prompted a similar reaction following its screening in Britain last year. The UK's Office of Communications received 44 complaints about the series, none of which were upheld.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/jewish-outcry-on-sbs-series-20120116-1q3a8.html

[provis99]

1. hilarious.

The writer-director is Jewish. I don't know anything about the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Are they right-wing Likud types?

oh edit: Just checked their webpage. Yep, their policy platform is right wing.

[shaayecanaan]

3. I thought the comparison with Jew Suss was odious and completely unacceptable...

everyone is entitled to complain and having watched the series I have a number of criticisms myself. But to simply throw out a gratuitous comparison like that and hope that it sticks is simply disgraceful. Its a cynical misuse of the holocaust and they really should be ashamed. I expect that sort of stuff from some of the less loquacious participants on this forum, but not from a serious organisation.

I thought the series was a bit sentimental, they obviously took pains to avoid "monstering" any of the characters and that meant that they were all a bit samey and bland. But I understand the political imperatives for that.

What annoys me is that films like "Exodus" were clearly much more one-eyed (from a pro-Israel point of view) and much more prone to demonising characters - if "The Promise" is Nazi propaganda, what should we make of "Exodus"?

[Jefferson23]

2. I little more about the film and some comments below.

Airdate: The Promise

By David Knox on November 23, 2011


On Sunday night SBS screens a stand-out UK drama, the BAFTA-nominated series The Promise.

This was also nominated for Best Mini-Series at the 2010/201 as Banff World Television Festival.

What makes this 4 part drama so unique is its dual storylines, set in two eras: present day and the 1940s.

If you’re worried there’s nothing to watch as of this Sunday, think again -especially if you are a lover of quality, Arthouse drama.

From the multi-award winning writer and director Peter Kosminsky comes The Promise. In a love story that spans the ages, this four-part drama intercuts between the experiences of Erin, an 18-year-old Londoner in present day Israel and Gaza, and those of her military grandfather, Len, who was part of the British peace-keeping force in Palestine at the end of World War II.

Erin’s best friend Eliza, the daughter of wealthy Israeli-Jewish parents, has joint British/Israeli nationality although she lives in the UK. She travels to Israel to carry out National Service in the army and invites Erin to join her for the summer.

Erin is anticipating a summer of parties and attractive, young Israeli men but just before she departs she finds her sick grandfather’s diary. She starts to read it en route to Israel and learns about his life in the army in the then Palestine.

She discovers Len witnessed first-hand the atrocities of the Holocaust and the violent events that occurred when the modern state of Israel was established. Moved by Len’s account and the realisation he wasn’t much older than her when he wrote it, Erin retraces his steps in modern day Israel.

Her journey is exhilarating and turbulent in equal measure. She is forced to confront the drama, complexity and tragedy of life in this troubled land for Jews and Palestinians alike.

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/11/airdate-the-promise.html

[Violet_Crumble]

4. Here's the complaint in full...

I haven't seen The Promise, so I'm in the dark as to what it was like...

http://www.ecaj.org.au/news_files/120105_the_promise.pdf