Mark Ruffalo, Ayo Edebiri, Javier Bardem and 1300 artistes pledge to not work with Israeli film companies amid Gaza war
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Mark Ruffalo, Ayo Edebiri, Javier Bardem and 1300 artistes pledge to not work with Israeli film companies amid Gaza war")
Hollywood A-Listers have pledged their support to Palestine
As conflict between Israel and Gaza continues, over 1300 artistes, including Hollywood A-listers like Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo, have pledged to not work with Israeli film institutions.
More than 1,300 artistes, including some Hollywood A-listers, have pledged not to work with Israeli film institutions that have been complicit in abuses against Palestinians. The pledge was released on Monday, and artists like Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Ayo Edebiri, Olivia Colman, Tilda Swinton, and Javier Bardem are some of the prominent names who have decried the “unrelenting horror” in Gaza, where Israel has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians and flattened most of the territory.
“Inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid who refused to screen their films in apartheid South Africa, we pledge not to screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions – including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies – that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people,” the statement read.
The pledge also gave examples of being complicit in violation of rights which include, “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them."
The pledge cited International Court of Justice rulings that concluded a genocide charge against Israel is plausible and found the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory as illegal.
Support pours in for Gaza
In the last 23 months, ever since the conflict between Hamas and Israel intensified, rights groups and United Nations experts have accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestine. Artistes across the world have spoken against the genocide.
Trending Stories
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
Palestinian rights advocates, too, have urged celebrities to use their reach and status to bring awareness to the plight of Palestinians.
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mike Lerner, one of the signatories to the statement, said the pledge was a “non-violent tool” to undermine the impunity that Israel enjoys for its conduct against Palestinians.
Hollywood is divided over the Israel-Palestine conflict
In recent years, actors and directors have condemned Israel’s policies, which have affected their careers. In 2023, Susan Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency for attending a Palestine solidarity rally. Sarandon is one of the signatories of Monday’s pledge, which was dropped by her talent agency after attending a Palestine solidarity rally.
Melissa Barrera, who also joined the boycott call, lost her role in the horror franchise Scream over social media posts critical of Israel.
Hollywood has been mostly divided in its stand against Israel. While actors have been dropped from projects for their support of Palestine, films showcasing the conflict have been awarded.
In March, No Other Land, an Israeli-Palestinian film focused on the ongoing destruction of the Palestinian community of Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank, won the Oscar for best documentary feature.
Last week, The Voice of Hind Rajab, a film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza last year, got a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix were among the film's executive producers.
