As Israel continues its attacks in Gaza, the removal of 30 films from Netflix’s collection titled “Palestinian Stories” has sparked criticism. Users launched a signature campaign against this decision, which they deemed as censorship, while Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Dr. Batuhan Mumcu criticized Netflix, emphasizing that the company distorts historical facts. Despite ongoing social media backlash, Netflix’s statement defended the removal of films from the collection by stating that their license terms had expired.

While Israel’s forces have been carrying out attacks in Gaza since October 7th, Netflix’s removal of 30 out of 32 films under the title “Palestinian Stories” has ignited international debate. Released by the platform in 2021, this film selection consisted of productions depicting the lives of Palestinians. However, the platform’s silent removal process has been labeled as censorship by many users. As criticism mounts, signature campaigns have been launched for the re-release of the content. Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Dr. Batuhan Mumcu also shared his views on the issue on social media. “YOU ARE TRYING TO COVER UP OPPRESSION,” Mumcu’s post stated, “What’s happening Netflix, what’s going on? You collaborated in depicting the glorious Turkish soldiers as occupiers in Cyprus, we warned you! Now, what does quietly removing 30 out of 32 films from the ‘Palestinian Stories’ collection mean?” Mumcu mentioned that Netflix’s actions either distort historical truths or aim to conceal the oppression faced by the Palestinian people, considering this a great disrespect to artists trying to be the voice of the Palestinian people.

NETFLIX’S STATEMENT

In a brief statement, Netflix stated, “We launched this licensed film collection for three years in 2021.” The statement added, “These licenses have now expired. As always, we continue to invest in a wide variety of high-quality films and TV shows to meet our members’ needs and celebrate voices from around the world.” However, this statement fell short in addressing the criticisms directed at the platform. Users initiated a signature campaign via social media for the re-release of these films and condemned Netflix’s censorship practices. Previously, the series “Famagusta” broadcasted on the platform had also sparked similar reactions. The portrayal of Turkish soldiers as occupiers and the ignorance of Turkish massacres by Greek gangs in the series had received harsh criticism from Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.