An open letter from a group that calls itself Film Workers for Palestine had amassed more than 4,000 signatures as of Wednesday, with a slew of Hollywood stars and filmmakers pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions that have been “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”
“As filmmakers, actors, film industry workers, and institutions, we recognize the power of cinema to shape perceptions,” the pledge, which was published online earlier this week, states. “In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity in that unrelenting horror.”
The list of signees include Oscar, BAFTA, Emmy and Palme d’Or winners, such as filmmakers Jonathan Glazer, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Asif Kapadia, Boots Riley and Joshua Oppenheimer; and actors Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Nicola Coughlan, Andrew Garfield, Harris Dickinson, Bowen Yang, Guy Pearce, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Fisher Stevens, Abbi Jacobson, Eric Andre, Elliot Page, Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Ayo Edebiri, Riz Ahmed, Josh O’Connor, Cynthia Nixon, among others.
Those who signed the letter will refuse to work with Israeli festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies that have participated in “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them,” according to the pledge.
On its FAQ page, Film Workers for Palestine notes that the pledge doesn’t prohibit film professionals from working with Israeli individuals. “This refusal takes aim at institutional complicity, not identity,” the group states.
The letter cited the International Court of Justice’s ruling last January that there was a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza. The ICJ also ruled last July that “the State of Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful,” and that Israel’s legislation and measures “constitute systemic discrimination based on, inter alia, race, religion or ethnic origin” in violation of international human rights law.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry has rejected the ICJ’s opinion, calling it “fundamentally wrong” and “blatantly one-sided.”
The letter is the latest action to underscore an apparent shift in public opinion across the U.S. and Europe against Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza, denunciation of Israel’s war tactics has grown louder as civilians in Gaza face widespread bombardment and starvation.
But in Hollywood, many who have voiced concern over Palestinian human rights have often been met with accusations of antisemitism.
In November 2023, United Talent Agency confirmed that it dropped Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon after she made remarks at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York. That same month, Spyglass Media Group said it dropped actor Melissa Barrera from the “Scream” horror series after a reported slew of Instagram posts condemning Israel in strong terms.
Maha Dakhil, an agent at Creative Artists Agency, also drew criticism after she posted messages on social media that accused Israel of “genocide.” She subsequently removed the posts and apologized, and then resigned from her board seat, Variety reported.
Jonathan Glazer, a British filmmaker who is among those who signed the Film Workers for Palestine letter, received backlash in 2024 after denouncing the bloodshed in the Middle East in his Oscars' acceptance speech.
The “Zone of Interest” director, who is Jewish, said onstage, “Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation, which has led to conflict for so many people.”
Over 1,000 Jewish creatives and professionals in Hollywood subsequently denounced the speech, Variety reported at the time, stating that “the use of words like ‘occupation’ to describe an indigenous Jewish people defending a homeland that dates back thousands of years, and has been recognized as a state by the United Nations, distorts history.”
This year, popular kids’ content creator Rachel Griffin Accurso, known as Ms. Rachel to her millions of viewers, has received widespread support online after garnering backlash for advocating for the rights of Palestinian children. In April, the pro-Israel advocacy group StopAntisemitism called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate if she was “being funded by a foreign party to push anti-Israel propaganda.”
In an interview with journalist Mehdi Hasan, founder of the independent publication Zeteo, Accurso said “it should be controversial to not say anything.” She hasn’t directly addressed the group’s investigation request, but has rejected claims that she is antisemitic because she advocates for the lives of children in Gaza. As an educator, she said, her empathy extends to all children around the world.
Film Workers for Palestine said in the letter that the pledge was inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, who refused to distribute films in apartheid South Africa four decades ago. Signatories then included prominent figures like Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee and Martin Scorsese.
“We answer the call of Palestinian filmmakers, who have urged the international film industry to refuse silence, racism, and dehumanization,” the letter states, “as well as to ‘do everything humanly possible’ to end complicity in their oppression.”
