Palestinian film director Hamdan Ballal, who won an Oscar for his work on the documentary film No Other Land, was recently attacked at his home by Israeli settlers and detained by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The attack on Ballal sparked widespread criticism on social media. Now, Avengers star Mark Ruffalo, who has expressed support for Palestine multiple times in the past, has responded to the news of the attack and shared his reaction.
Here is what Mark Ruffalo said about the attack on Hamdan Ballal.
What did Mark Ruffalo say about the Hamdan Ballal attack?
IndieWire recently uploaded an Instagram post where they briefly touched on the settler attack against Hamdan Ballal. They also directed users to the link on their bio page. There is a comment by Mark Ruffalo’s Instagram profile under the post, expressing his views on the incident.
“Every film maker and academy member should be acting together in protest. No matter where you stand on this issue this is an attack on our beloved art from [sic] of film making,” the comment reads.
Mark Ruffalo then mentioned Hamdan Ballal’s status as a political prisoner and called the violent attack he suffered “an international incident” and a “violation of human rights.”
Ruffalo then called out the “lawless settlers” and IDF for their behavior. He further mentioned how the killing of journalists and the abduction of filmmakers was not “an accident” but “a design for the eradication of a people and their culture.” He then concluded by calling for Ballal’s freedom.
Ruffalo also shared the IndieWire post on his Instagram stories.
As of this writing, Yuval Abraham, who co-directed No Other Land, revealed via X (Twitter) that Ballal was now freed. Abraham also mentioned that Ballal was ready to go home to his family after “being handcuffed all night and beaten in a military base.”
No Other Land, co-directed by Abraham and Ballal, along with Basel Adra and Rachel Szor, chronicles the destruction of the occupied West Bank’s Masafer Yatta. The film highlights the devastating impact of Israeli soldiers on the region. The documentary film also explores the alliance between Basel, a Palestinian activist, and Yuval, an Israeli journalist.