‘Jaber’ courts controversy as actor withdraws over ‘Zionist’ script

AMMAN — The Jordanian Artists Association (JAA) called on artists involved in the American movie “Jaber” to give up their roles, claiming that the movie has a “Zionist agenda”.

The association issued a press release on Saturday stating that members of the JAA involved in the movie have “confirmed that there will be scenes depicting the Israelis’ right in Petra.”

Actor Ali Elayan told Al Mamlaka in a live interview that the movie “uses its storyline to spread serious misinformation about the area, particularly the Levant.”

Elayan, who recently dropped out of the movie alongside seven of his colleagues, also said that the movie “subtly twists history to fit a hidden, foreign agenda”.

The JAA praised those who chose not to participate in the movie, stressing that “in the future, it is important to consult the association before working with foreign films”.

The movie’s script was approved by the Royal Film Commission, according to the association, who they said should “stop issuing licences to works without fully reading them or consulting with local entities whose interest and reputation they put at risk.”

The commission has also recently been criticised after approving and supporting the filming of the Netflix series “Jinn”.

Representatives from the commission were not immediately available for comment.

However Director of “Jaber” Mohyee-Deen Qandour said on social media that the movie “does not, in any way, imply that Israel has a right in Petra”.

He added: “There is one scene where a person finds a rock with Jewish writings on it and sends it to the Ministry of Tourism for inspection. That is it.”

He also criticised actor Ali Elayan for speaking against the movie, saying that the “real” reason behind Elayan’s stepping down was due to “being denied a bigger role in the movie”.