Money down the drain – how the Culture Ministry promoted the controversial reform
The Israeli Ministry of Culture, under the leadership of Miki Zohar, spent about three million shekels from the state budget on aggressive PR for the controversial film reform. This initiative previously sparked widespread strikes and…
Assessment
The Israeli Culture Ministry spent roughly three million shekels on an aggressive PR campaign for a controversial film reform, even as it canceled annual culture awards worth four and a half million shekels. The spending occurred during a period of strict budget cuts, raising questions about ministerial priorities. The reform itself had already sparked widespread strikes and protests from filmmakers, indicating deep opposition within the cultural sector. Whether the PR campaign succeeded in swaying public opinion or deepened the rift remains unclear.