Education Minister Yifat Shasha Bitton announced today (Thursday) that the winner of the Israel Prize in Theater and Dance for the year 2002 is the actor and director Oded Kotler. As you may recall, in 2015 Kotler caused a great stir, in what was called the “speech of the beasts,” in which he attacked the then Minister of Culture Miri Regev.
“The award will be given to Kotler for his groundbreaking work and achievements in the field of Israeli theater as an actor, director and artistic director. After announcing the win, Kotler told News Here 11:” A good and pleasant feeling. I would like to think that this award was given to me even though the government is in the hands of the right. ” .
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Kotler spoke sharply in June 2015 at a conference of the “Cultural Institutions Forum” against the then Minister of Culture Miri Regev, after Regev said in an earlier meeting between her and artists: “We received 30 seats and you are only 20.”
Kotler reacted very aggressively to Regev’s remarks, in what was called the “speech of the beasts” and received a lot of condemnation from right-wingers, including then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: A world that does not interfere, does not prevent the nation from celebrating 30 seats, followed by a herd of animals waiting for straw and hay. ”
The one who reacted to Kotler’s victory was Matan Peleg, chairman of the If You Will Association: “Her descent into the abyss of oblivion. At least half of them, bloated filmmakers have contributed to the renewed culture of Israel in the Land of Israel, so like foam on the water, no one will remember them or their creations. A fun sunset.”