THE Academy has broken its silence after an Oscar-winning Palestinian co-director was detained by the Israeli military and "handcuffed and beaten".
However, the prestigious organisation has failed to directly acknowledge the attack and has instead reiterated its commitment to representing members "with many unique viewpoints".
Hamdan Ballal, who won the Oscar for best documentary for No Other Land earlier this month, was attacked in the Palestinian villiage of Susiya in the occupied West Bank on Monday evening.
He was detained overnight in an Israeli army base and reported being "handcuffed and blinded ... while two soldiers beat him up on the floor".
He said: "I heard the voices of the soldiers, they were laughing about me ... I heard [the word] 'Oscar].
"After what they did to me, I fear it could now happen to others."
No Other Land exposes Israeli settler violence and the displacement of Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta between 2019 and 2023.
The attack against Ballal has been met with outrage from politicians, actors and activists alike. Holywood star Mark Ruffalo said Ballal''s abduction was "not an accident" and that "many of us are not surprised by this behaviour from the lawless settlers and the IDF at this point".
But the Academy – which hosts the Oscars awards ceremony – remained silent on the issue until Thursday.
In a letter sent to Academy members on Thursday, Bill Kramer and Janet Yang – CEO and president of the organisation respectively – did not directly address the Israeli attack on Ballal, but instead said the organisation represented members "with many unique viewpoints".
Sharing the statement on Twitter/X, fellow co-director Yuval Abraham, a Jewish-Israeli journalist, said: "after our criticism, the academy's leaders sent out this email to members explaining their silence on Hamdan's assault: they need to respect 'unique viewpoints'".
after our criticism, the academy's leaders sent out this email to members explaining their silence on Hamdan's assault: they need to respect "unique viewpoints" pic.twitter.com/69mdp4aE9m
— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) March 27, 2025
Read the full statement from the Academy below.
"Dear Academy members,
"At the heart of the Academy's mission is a commitment to honoring excellence in the motion picture arts and sciences and connecting the world through the power of cinema. We do this through our work on the Oscars, our exhibitions and programs, our preservation and education efforts, and so much more. We believe deeply in the ability of film to illuminate, to provoke thought, and to bridge divides by offering a window into diverse human experiences.
"We fundamentally believe that film has the power to enlighten global audiences and highlight different perspectives – and we encourage our members to use their art to do so. The Academy condemns harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints.
"We are living in a time of profound change, marked by conflict and uncertainty – across the globe, in the U.S., and within our own industry. Understandably, we are often asked to speak on behalf of the Academy in response to social, political, and economic events. In these instances, it is important to note that the Academy represents close to 11,000 global members with many unique viewpoints.
"We are, however, united in a shared belief in the importance of storytelling, in the value of empathy, and in the role of film as a catalyst. As an organization, our focus continues to be the celebration of creative voices that make up the global film community – and supporting your freedom to create, to challenge, and to imagine.
"We remain steadfast in this work, and we are grateful to walk alongside each of you in it.
"Bill Kramer and Janet Yang"
