Dozens of delegates from the Israeli TV sector will not travel to Mipcom Cannes next week following the Hamas-led attack on the country’s civilians over the weekend.
Around 70 Israelis were due to attend next week’s confab but we now understand very few will be in the south of France following the unexpected attack, which has sent shockwaves around the world, claiming the lives of an estimated 1,200 people in Israel so far.
Most airlines have stopped flights in and out of Tel Aviv, meaning travel to the world’s biggest television content market in the south of France is virtually impossible. Had travel been possible, many we have spoken to would have still have opted to remain and help with relief efforts or support their families.
“Along with the rest of the world we have watched in horror as the situation has unfolded, and any delegates from Israel no longer able to attend Mipcom Cannes will of course be able to receive full refunds,” said a Mipcom Cannes spokesman.
“Overall, circa-70 people are accredited for the market from Israel, how many are no longer unable to attend is yet unclear. We are in touch with our representative in Israel who is safe and who is keeping us posted.”
“We are not expecting to see anyone coming from Israel, but we would be very happy to welcome anyone who does,” added Lucy Smith, Director of of the Entertainment Division at Mipcom parent RX France in an interview with Deadline.
We hear Keshet International, the sales arm of Israeli network Keshet and seller of shows including The A Word and Prisoners of War, is sending sales reps who based outside of Israel. The company has bases in Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Warsaw, and Munich. We hear those based in Tel Aviv are safe but will not travel.
Similarly, Fauda company Yes will not make the journey to Cannes. “Most of the international airlines have cancelled their flights to and from Israel, and we have today taken the decision not to attend Mipcom,” said Yes Studios Managing Director Sharon Levi.
“We are mostly working from home, trying to attend to our day-to-day activities and function as usual, albeit dealing with this horrible and unbearable situation.”
TV and film community sources we have spoken to in Israel are broadly staying put to support loved ones, work as best they can or volunteer to help devastated communities and retrieve families in isolated villages near the border. Some have lost family members or colleagues to the violence, and many are angry with the response of the Israeli government to the atrocities. More reports of horrific massacres emerged overnight on multiple news sites, with death tolls continuing to rise.
Hamas-backed militants attacked Israel on Saturday, crossing the border and killing many in towns in the south of the country. More than 260 were massacred at a music festival near the Gaza border and others captured and taken into Palestine. More than 1,200 people in Israel have been killed in total, according to the BBC. Around 150 have been taken hostage, with reports of Holocaust survivors and children being forcibly dragged into Gaza.
Israel has responded by declaring war on Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, and is continuing with an aerial bombardment of Gaza. More than 900 people have died in the attacks, including journalists and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Both sides continue to exchange rocket fire.
