Despite winning an Oscar, the Israeli-Palestinian-made film No Other Land cannot be found on any streaming platforms in the United States, making independent cinemas the only places to view it. However, in Miami Beach, even featuring the film will get you labeled an antisemite and kicked out of the city.

Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, who is Jewish and has deep personal and political ties to Israel, stirred controversy last week for seeking to shut down an independent art house cinema over its showing of the “No Other Land” documentary after attempting to pressure organizers to cancel a planned screening. Meiner claims that the film is antisemitic and a “propaganda attack on the Jewish people that is not consistent with the values of our City and residents.”

The Mayor’s crusade against the cinema for daring to show an Oscar-winning film that is critical of Israel has led him to push through a draft resolution to halt a future grant payment of $40,000 to the nonprofit O Cinema in South Beach, Florida. Meiner is also pursuing legislative efforts to terminate a lease agreement with the independent theater that screened the film.

Celebrating the 76th Independence Day of the modern State of Israel tonight at Hebrew Academy! I stand with Israel today, tomorrow and forever! pic.twitter.com/vt7LRhRuCN

— Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner (@StevenMeiner) May 14, 2024

Despite its global success, “No Other Land” is currently not available to stream in the United States due to “political sensitivities.” This has meant that only a select number of independent theaters have been able to show the documentary.

Although the accusations made against the film claim that it is “an attack on the Jewish people,” “No Other Land” was actually created through a collaborative effort between two Israeli Jews and two Palestinians—Hamdan Ballal, Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor. Some Palestinian groups have even criticized the film for violating “anti-normalization guidelines,” according to a statement published by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).

Yet, for Mayor Meiner, Israeli involvement in the film’s production does not grant it any legitimacy. His intolerance for the documentary is consistent with Miami Beach’s broader crackdown on pro-Palestine advocacy. In March 2024, a city commission draft resolution was passed restricting the time, place, and manner of protests against Israeli policy.

Meiner insists that his resolution was not in violation of the U.S. Constitution, which requires that any restrictions on free speech be “content neutral” and not politically motivated. However, in April 2024, the Miami Herald obtained emails revealing that the resolution was heavily edited by the City Attorney’s Office, removing the Mayor’s pledge of support for Israel in an effort to appear “nonpartisan” and avoid legal challenges.

Meiner, who was elected as Miami Beach’s mayor in 2023, has long been a staunch supporter of Israel. In addition to regularly expressing pro-Israel sentiments on his X (formerly Twitter) account, he has actively supported Miami Beach’s deepening relationship with Israel. Under his leadership, the city has strengthened ties with its sister city, Nahariya, Israel—a partnership that has facilitated extensive cooperation, including humanitarian support.

In October 2023, Meiner arranged for Miami Beach firefighters to be awarded the Medal of Valor after they traveled to Israel in the wake of the October 7 attacks. He has also facilitated direct aid to Israel, including personally organizing the donation of an ambulance to an Israeli city through American Friends of Magen David Adom.

Miami Beach is setting the standard for supporting a strong ally, Israel. Today, we stand with our Sister City, Nahariya, by dedicating an ambulance to the people of Israel through American Friends of @Mdais. This isn’t just a vehicle; it’s a lifeline. Every life saved shows… pic.twitter.com/wuBfgY9GrS

— Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner (@StevenMeiner) November 14, 2024

Playing the antisemitism card to suppress criticism of Israel is not new for the Miami Beach mayor. During a commission meeting prior to the adoption of the protest restriction resolution, Meiner muted the microphones of two Jewish anti-Zionist activists, shouted down an attendee for criticizing Israeli policy, and then invoked antisemitism as a defense.

In late 2023, allegations of sexual harassment surfaced against Meiner while he was working for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Three women came forward with accusations, including two of his former interns. However, Meiner dismissed the allegations outright, suggesting that they were fabricated as retaliation for his support of Israel. “Likely motivated by anti-Israel and antisemitic views,” he claimed. Despite his denials, a federal probe into the allegations was announced, shortly after which Meiner resigned from his position at the SEC.

The film controversy is just the latest example of Miami Beach’s increasing hostility toward pro-Palestine activism. In March 2024, activists distributing flyers raising awareness about Israel’s actions in Gaza at the Miami Beach Convention Center were quickly corralled into a designated “free speech zone,” enclosed by barricades and monitored by police.

By June 2024, the Miami Beach commission adopted a resolution barring the city from contracting with businesses that support boycotting Israel—including those that refuse to engage with companies operating in the occupied Palestinian territories. When local activists opposed the measure, Meiner claimed they were not just “anti-Zionist” but “antisemitic.” Similar anti-Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) measures have now been adopted in at least 38 U.S. states.

Miami Beach has also been the site of violence driven by the city’s extreme pro-Israel rhetoric. In February 2024, a Jewish American gunman shot and seriously wounded two Israeli tourists, mistakenly believing they were Palestinians. Initially, the victims claimed an antisemite had targeted them—only later realizing their attacker was a Zionist. The local chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace later stated that the shooting was “fueled by a [Miami Beach] city administration” that fosters an environment of hostility toward Palestinians and Arabs.

Miami Beach’s alignment with Israel extends beyond policy and rhetoric. In 2021, when an apartment building collapsed in Surfside, Florida, 81 out of the 98 victims were recovered not by American first responders but by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers.

The case against “No Other Land” reveals a growing trend: American pro-Israel officials are increasingly weaponizing accusations of antisemitism to silence critical speech, even when the targets of their attacks are films made by Israelis themselves. The Miami Beach government’s aggressive campaign against an Oscar-winning documentary exposes the lengths to which officials like Meiner are willing to go in order to suppress any criticism of Israel.

Feature photo  | Jewish men and boys walk to synagogue for Shabbat service, in Miami Beach, Fla., Dec. 1, 2023. Rebecca Blackwell | AP

Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show ‘Palestine Files’. Director of ‘Steal of the Century: Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe’. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47

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