More than 5,000 film stars of Hollywood have signed a pledge to boycott collaboration with Israeli film institutions over the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
The pledge, launched on September 8 by the activist group Film Workers for Palestine, includes the signatures of major industry names such as Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, and Emma Stone.
These signatories have committed to refusing any work with Israeli film institutions, which they accuse of being complicit in what they describe as “genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”
British actress Julia Sawalha voiced strong support for the boycott, telling Arab News that the widespread silence over Palestinian suffering was “unconscionable.” Organizers of the boycott highlighted that the initiative targets institutions, not individual Israeli artists.
Opposition Gathers Momentum, Rejects Boycott as “misinformation”
The boycott has not gone unchallenged. On September 25, a counter-letter was published by Creative Community for Peace and The Brigade, gathering over 1,200 signatures from prominent entertainment figures including Jerry Seinfeld, Mayim Bialik, Gene Simmons, Debra Messing, Liev Schreiber, and Sharon Osbourne.
The counter-signatories rejected the boycott as “misinformation” and warned it risks stifling artistic expression and fueling antisemitism. Actress Debra Messing argued that denying collaboration based on nationality amounts to “blatant discrimination.”
As tensions escalate in the Middle East, Hollywood has become a battleground of cultural and political ideologies.
The situation continues to evolve, with the film world increasingly drawn into one of the most polarizing global issues of our time.
