I am Ahmad and Censorship of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

ABSTRACT: This article examines the film I am Ahmad , made by Ram Loevy and Avshalom Katz in 1966. Largely forgotten today, I am Ahmad holds special importance in Israeli film history, being the first to discuss Jewish-Arab relations in Israel, and the first to feature an Israeli-Palestinian in the leading role. Detailing the discrimination faced by Ahmad as he left his village to work in Tel Aviv, the film sparked immediate controversy. Yet prior to its release, the film cleared The Film and Theatre Review Board, Israel's censorship apparatus. This article tells the story of the Board and I am Ahmad . Relying on newly available archival material, this article describes, for the first time, the Board's hesitations over the film. By doing so, it opens a window not only to the Board and its operation, but also shows how Israeli Jews, including public officials, perceived Israeli Palestinians and the dilemmas of censorship when it came to the Arab-Jewish conflict in Israel. Specifically, this article argues that the Board saw itself as an important agency in the formation of the new Israeli identity. Consequently, critical narratives about the Palestinian Nakba, land expropriation, or discrimination of Arab citizens, were immediately suspect.