EXCLUSIVE : The Palestinian producer behind The Sea , Israel’s contender for Best International Feature at the Oscars, has argued that it is misguided for Hollywood luminaries to boycott filmmakers in the country.

Baher Agbariya, an Academy Award-nominated producer based in Haifa, said he agreed with the political objectives of those boycotting Israel, but implored the 5,000 signatories — including Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix — to engage in conversations with local filmmakers rather than blanket bans.

Film Workers for Palestine (FWP), the organization behind the boycott, has vowed to shun “festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies” that are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” Its intervention came days before a United Nation

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