Film Feud Reaches Elmhurst Public Library
ELMHURST, IL – The planned showing of a documentary about Israel and its supporters at Elmhurst Public Library sparked opposition.
The sponsoring group has since changed its plan, the library said.
The documentary in question is “Israelism.” Critics say it is antisemitic, but its producers deny that.
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Last week, the library wrote about the controversy on its Facebook page. It said misinformation had been shared on social media about an outside group’s film screening at the library.
“The film is not scheduled to be shown at Elmhurst Public Library,” the library said.
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The library’s post did not identify the misinformation.
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On Tuesday, Patch called Mary Beth Harper, the library’s director. She asked Patch to submit written questions, saying she was working on other things.
In response to Patch’s questions, Harper said the outside group, which she did not identify, had planned to show “Israelism” on Sept. 27 in a library meeting room. Then it switched to another documentary, “Where Olive Trees Weep.” She said the library got its information about the showing from the group’s social media posts.
Under the First Amendment, the library may not deny access to meeting rooms based on the content of speech, Harper said.
“Additionally, the Library does not endorse any speech made by outside groups in their meeting rooms,” she said.
A similar controversy occurred earlier this month at Northbrook’s library. A group planned to show “Israelism,” but canceled it after the library notified the group it needed to pay for security because of expected protests.
According to the IMDb website, “Israelism” is about how two young American Jews who were raised to unconditionally love Israel witnessed the way Israel treated Palestinians. The documentary reveals a “deepening generational divide over modern Jewish identity,” the website said.
“Where Olive Trees Weep” gives a “searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation,” according to IMDb.
StandWithUs, a Los Angeles-based conservative pro-Israel group, reviewed “Israelism,” saying its message is that “American Jewish youth are being brainwashed into white supremacy against their own interests.”
The documentary, according to StandWithUs, portrays Jewish people as lying about antisemitism to silence pro-Palestinian voices.
StandWithUs did not review “Where Olive Trees Weep.”
The library’s Facebook comment drew more than 300 responses. Many critics of “Israelism” contended it is antisemitic.
One of the responses was from Sawsan Abubaker of Chicago, who identified herself as one of the organizers. She said the documentary shows Palestinian suffering.
“The film does not promote antisemitism or hatred; rather, it aims to present a critical perspective on the situation,” she said.
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