Mr. Gross said the film “has to be shown — this is democracy.”
Two mayors of neighboring cities — Esteban L. Bovo Jr., of Hialeah, and Francis Suarez, of Miami — called into the meeting to express support for Mr. Meiner. And Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, the consul general of Israel in Miami, told the crowd that while he was “totally against censorship of art,” he believed that “it does not take away the responsibility that these institutions have to show the full picture.”
“When it’s being shown on taxpayer-subsidized government venues with public funds, that’s not free speech, it’s government policy,” said Commissioner David Suarez. He added, “play the film wherever you want, on private property, in front of City Hall, on the street corner, but do not ask the taxpayers of Miami Beach to foot the bill for odious propaganda films.”
Supporters of the theater also noted that its programming reflected the demographics of Miami Beach, which has a significant number of Jewish residents, many of whom have strong ties to Israel. The theater has a longstanding partnership with the Miami Jewish Film Festival and shows regular films about the Holocaust, they said.
Mr. Meiner, who took office a month after the Oct. 7 attack, has repeatedly taken hard-line stances in defense of Israel. Among other things, he pushed through new restrictions on protests after several pro-Palestinian rallies took place in Miami Beach.
Amid all the attention, the theater has stepped up its ongoing campaign to raise money so it can open a second location in the Miami area. That venue, organization leaders said, would be rented from a private landlord.
Four sold-out showings of “No Other Land” are scheduled to go forward Wednesday evening and Thursday.
Marc Tracy contributed reporting.
Movies,Freedom of Speech and Expression,Theaters (Buildings),O Cinema (Miami Beach, Fla, Theater),Meiner, Steven,Miami Beach (Fla)
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