Israel ambassador to India Naor Gilon launched a scathing attack on his fellow countryman and filmmaker for calling 'The Kashmir Files' “propaganda” and "vulgar" at the 53rd International Film Festival of India. Gilon said that Lapid, who was the jury head at the IFFI 2022, should be ashamed of his remark on Kashmir Files as it is “insensitive and presumptuous to speak about historic events before deeply studying them and which are an open wound in India.
Naor Gilon, on Tuesday penned an open letter to IFFI and Lapid, criticising the Israeli filmmaker for speaking on the Kashmir issue. In the letter directed at Lapid, Gilon wrote, "YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED," adding that he, as the ambassador, "unequivocally" condemned the filmmakers remark's on Agnihotri's movie."Feel free to use the liberty to sound your criticism of what you dislike in Israel but no need to reflect your frustration on other countries," Gilon urged Lapid. The friendship between Israel and India is very strong and will survive the damage you have inflicted," Gilon further wrote and offered his apologies in India. The Kashmir Files' was screened at IFFI on November 22 as a part of the Indian Panorama Section. Lapid criticised the entry saying the jury was "disturbed and shocked" by the film and deemed it “inappropriate for an artistic competitive section of such a prestigious film festival.”