EXCLUSIVE – The leader of a southern Florida city has come under fire from free speech advocates for attempting to keep the award-winning documentary “No Other Land” out of a city-owned theater, but Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner believes the film is potentially dangerous anti-Israel propaganda.
“When there’s propaganda, it often ends in violence and murder. So, we have to take that propaganda and one-sided hate very seriously,” Mayor Meiner told Fox News Digital.
Meiner has made international headlines, many of them negative, by objecting to “No Other Land” being shown at O Cinema, located inside Miami Beach’s Old City Hall. The mayor said he penned a letter to O Cinema CEO Vivian Marthell expressing concern about the documentary being shown at a theater on government property that receives grant funding from Miami Beach. She initially agreed but backtracked and screened “No Other Land” anyway.
Miami Beach has the ability to terminate the contract for O Cinema to remain inside Old City Hall with 180 days of notice, and Meiner wants to give the theater the boot over the decision. Critics, such as the International Documentary Association, have condemned Meiner’s threat, suggesting it’s a clear violation of free speech, but the mayor sees it differently.
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“If you’re going to show one film like this, ‘No Other Land,’ that’s, you know, a one-sided propaganda piece. You know, show another film that shows both sides of the issue,” Meiner said.
“I watched the film. I’m a staunch believer in free speech. But we also, as a country, I think we’ve done a really good… since the civil rights movement, pointing out hate and propaganda where it exists,” Meiner continued. “And this is a perfect example of this movie being a one-sided propaganda hit piece that leaves out some incredibly important facts that change the whole context of the movie.”
Meiner, who is an Orthodox Jew, feels “No Other Land” is “disturbing in many respects,” and is filled with antisemitic rhetoric. The film, which won the 2025 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature and was made by two Israelis and two Palestinians, advertises that it “shows the destruction of the occupied West Bank’s Masafer Yatta by Israeli soldiers.”
However, Meiner maintains key context is left out of the project.
“What the movie doesn’t tell you is there’s a long history here. And actually, under the Oslo Accords, Israel had the right to the property. It was actually a military training zone for decades, when it was vacant, it was actually vacant land. And the Israeli army had worked out an agreement with Bedouin Arabs, who Israel has a friendly relationship with, that they can continue doing their sheep and bringing their animals there,” Meiner said.
“But ultimately, the Palestinians started building homes really to create this wedge issue,” he added. “And ultimately Israel didn’t just go in with their army. They went to court, and they went to the Israeli Supreme Court, which often rules against the Israelis. But in this case, it was so clear-cut that it was a military training zone that was unlawfully occupied by this Palestinian, so the Israeli army ordered that Israel could pull those homes, which they did.”
Meiner said the situation is akin to Mexican immigrants crossing the southern border of the United States and building homes on a U.S. military base.
“I wouldn’t allow it, nor should Israel, but the movie doesn’t tell you that,” he said.
Meiner feels support for the film is simply the latest example of a clear “double standard” when it comes to Jewish people.
“I firmly believe that if this had been a film that was racist against Black people or an attack on the LGBTQ community, I think you’d have a different reaction than if it was against Jewish people,” Meiner said.
The mayor insists that he has no issue with the film being shown in private theaters, but O Cinema is on city-owned property and subsidized in part with grant funding. He says “propaganda” is not welcome in Miami Beach’s Old City Hall.
“This is government property with government funding, and that is the nature of the concerns that I initially raised,” he said.
Meiner said he would “love” to see O Cinema screen a documentary that shows the horrific acts of the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. In fact, he’s open to changing his mind about the theater’s lease if it turns around and screens a pro-Israel film. In the meantime, Meiner doesn’t mind the attention his controversial decision has generated.
“I represent everyone in Miami Beach, and I certainly don’t want to say that I represent all Jewish people. There’s many different viewpoints, but I can tell you I definitely struck a nerve and it crosses religious lines. It crosses political party lines,” Meiner said.
“I’ve gotten support from many groups, but certainly in the Jewish community… they’ve said they’re very proud of what I’ve done,” he continued. “That I’ve highlighted this double standard.”
Meiner’s move drew widespread criticism that he was infringing on the First Amendment, and one of the documentary’s directors, Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, told The New York Times the mayor was misusing the term “antisemitism” to smear the movie.
Marthell also told the Associated Press her initial reaction to Meiner’s letter was “made under duress” and later decided to show the film.
“After reflecting on the broader implications for free speech and O Cinema’s mission, I (along with the O Cinema board and staff members) agreed it was critical to screen this acclaimed film,” Marthell told the AP.
“We understand the power of cinema to tell stories that matter, and we recognize that some stories — especially those rooted in real-world conflicts — can evoke strong feelings and passionate reactions. As they should,” Marthell continued. “Our decision to screen ‘No Other Land’ is not a declaration of political alignment. It is a bold reaffirmation of our fundamental belief that every voice deserves to be heard.”
Over 600 filmmakers, including Michael Moore, signed a letter asking Miami Beach commissioners to reject the eviction ahead of an expected vote on Wednesday, Axios reported.
“For half a decade, Basel Adra, a Palestinian activist, films his community of Masafer Yatta being destroyed by Israel’s occupation, as he builds an unlikely alliance with a journalist from the other side who joins his fight,” the documentary’s description reads on Rotten Tomatoes. It received widespread acclaim, earning a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating that meant every critic listed gave it a positive review.
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