Hollywood Divided Over Israeli Film Boycott

Film Workers for Palestine issued a pledge to boycott Israeli festivals, broadcasters, cinemas and production companies “implicated in genocide and apartheid,” a move signed by thousands of film professionals including Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo and Emma Stone. The pledge’s backers liken it to anti‑apartheid cultural isolation and say it is a moral response to alleged complicity in the violence in Gaza. In response, Creative Community for Peace and The Brigade organized a counter‑letter signed by about 1,200 industry figures — including Liev Schreiber, Debra Messing, Mayim Bialik, Gene Simmons and Greg Berlanti — that calls the boycott discriminatory, effectively censorious and likely to amplify antisemitic propaganda while undermining Jewish–Palestinian artistic collaboration. Opponents point to Israeli films critical of government policy (citing The Sea) and note studios such as Paramount have publicly condemned the boycott. The dispute has drawn wide corporate and media attention and underscores a growing cultural and political rift within the entertainment industry.