Florida Mayor Drops Threat to Evict Cinema Over Israeli-Palestinian Film

On Wednesday, the mayor of Miami Beach retracted his proposal to evict a nonprofit cinema over its screening of an Academy Award-winning documentary about Israeli displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank.

Mayor Steven Meiner had previously announced his intent to remove O Cinema from city-owned property after it screened No Other Land, a documentary primarily filmed in the years leading up to the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023.

Mr. Meiner repeatedly criticized the film, directed by two Israeli and two Palestinian filmmakers, calling it “one-sided propaganda against the Jewish people.”

However, during an emotionally charged City Commission meeting on Wednesday, it became evident that he lacked the necessary support for his proposal. Consequently, Mr. Meiner withdrew the resolution and put on hold, at least temporarily, an alternative measure suggesting the theater should also screen films that “accurately present the perspective of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.”

“This was a conversation that needed to happen—it was a meaningful discussion, and I’m glad we had it,” said Mr. Meiner, who is Jewish. At one point during the meeting, he appeared visibly emotional as he spoke about his concerns regarding antisemitism in the U.S. and worldwide.

After the meeting, he expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating, “I’m actually very happy with how this turned out.”

The debate underscored sharp divisions in Miami Beach over whether the city should intervene in a theater’s programming decisions. It also highlighted the ongoing impact of the October 7 attack and subsequent war in Gaza on the city’s residents, many of whom have strong ties to the Jewish community.

Mr. Meiner, whose position is nonpartisan, acknowledged the backlash he received, as well as warnings about potential First Amendment legal challenges if the city had moved forward with evicting the theater.

Following the meeting, Kareem Tabsch, co-founder of O Cinema, reaffirmed the theater’s commitment to curatorial independence. “We welcome recommendations and suggestions from the broader community, including commissioners,” he said. “But our programming choices are an extension of our right to free speech.”

It remains unclear when or if the commission will vote on the alternative resolution, which encourages the theater to also showcase films portraying Israeli suffering from the October 7 attack. Mr. Meiner stated that further discussions were needed to refine its language.

Still, the majority of the six-member commission, also nonpartisan, opposed any attempt to evict the cinema. While some commissioners voiced concerns about antisemitism and the mayor’s objections, they argued that government interference was not the solution.

“O Cinema, like any organization receiving public funding, has a responsibility to present important world issues with fairness and balance,” said Commissioner Alex J. Fernandez. “But that responsibility should not be dictated by the government. If we start censoring artistic content today, where does it end?”

The documentary has been picked up by distributors in over two dozen countries, but none in the U.S. As a result, the filmmakers have directly approached individual theaters to screen the film.

Initially, when Mr. Meiner learned of O Cinema’s plans to show the film, he urged the theater not to proceed. While the theater’s chief executive, Vivian Marthell, initially agreed, she later reversed course, and screenings quickly sold out.

In response, Mr. Meiner proposed terminating the theater’s lease in Miami Beach’s former City Hall building and revoking planned grant funding.

During a virtual town hall on Tuesday, where he did not take questions, Mr. Meiner stood by his initial proposal, stating he had “no regrets.” At the commission meeting, he framed the issue as an effort to combat what he described as a double standard in how Jewish people and antisemitism are treated nationwide.

Citing Miami’s large Cuban American population, he drew a comparison: “If a film glorifying Castro and the revolution were screened in a heavily Cuban neighborhood, people would expect a response.” (In 1991, a court ruled against a city-led attempt to evict a Cuban cultural museum for displaying work by artists who had not denounced Fidel Castro, citing First Amendment violations.)

Throughout the meeting, Mr. Meiner’s remarks were frequently interrupted by protests from the audience. “I believe I’m speaking for the vast majority of Jewish people,” he said. “There is a war going on—not just with weapons, but with propaganda. Every Jewish person I talk to feels they are a soldier in this war, and this is part of it.”

Mr. Meiner argued that O Cinema had a responsibility to provide a more balanced depiction of the war, including Israel’s perspective.

However, his efforts to penalize the theater have drawn strong opposition, including from one of the documentary’s filmmakers. Hundreds of filmmakers worldwide have sent letters urging the city not to interfere with the theater’s programming.

“Threatening to shut down O Cinema stifles free speech and sends the message that stories like mine don’t matter,” said Charlotte Newhouse al-Sahli, a Miami Beach resident with a Palestinian husband. “But they do, and this city should not be in the business of erasing them.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, most public commenters criticized Mr. Meiner, with boos and jeers sometimes drowning out his supporters. While some attendees voiced concerns about the film, they maintained that the theater should have the freedom to determine its own programming.

Several speakers, including Jewish residents, Holocaust survivors, and those with personal ties to Israel, spoke in defense of artistic freedom.

“O Cinema is a space where we can engage with complex issues, reflect, and grow,” said Ruth Mayer, a Miami Beach resident who attended the meeting with her Israeli-born husband, Akiva Gross. “You don’t have to agree with everything you see, but you should have the opportunity to engage with it.”

Mr. Gross added, “This film must be shown—this is democracy.”

Some local officials supported Mr. Meiner’s stance. Mayors from nearby cities, Esteban L. Bovo Jr. of Hialeah and Francis Suarez of Miami, called into the meeting to express solidarity. Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, Israel’s consul general in Miami, stated that while he opposed censorship, institutions receiving public funds had a duty to “present the full picture.”

“When something is screened at a taxpayer-funded venue, that’s not just free speech—it’s government policy,” said Commissioner David Suarez. “Show the film on private property, in front of City Hall, or on the street corner, but don’t ask Miami Beach taxpayers to fund propaganda.”

Supporters of O Cinema pointed out that its programming already reflects Miami Beach’s demographics, which include a large Jewish population with strong ties to Israel. The theater has a long-standing partnership with the Miami Jewish Film Festival and regularly screens Holocaust-related films.

Since taking office a month after the October 7 attack, Mr. Meiner has consistently taken a hard-line stance in support of Israel. He previously spearheaded new restrictions on protests following several pro-Palestinian rallies in Miami Beach.

Amid the controversy, O Cinema has intensified its fundraising efforts to establish a second location in the Miami area, which would be leased from a private landlord.

For now, the four scheduled sold-out screenings of No Other Land on Wednesday and Thursday will proceed as planned.