More than 1,800 actors, producers and entertainers, including several Hollywood stars, have pledged not to collaborate with Israeli film institutions they accuse of enabling Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
The statement, released Monday 8th September, comes amid mounting international outrage over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where Israel’s military offensive has triggered widespread starvation and displacement.
“Following the example of Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, who refused to engage with South African institutions under apartheid, we commit to not screening films, attending festivals, or working with Israeli film bodies – including cinemas, broadcasters and production houses – that are complicit in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people,” the pledge declared.
The group stressed their stance does not target Israeli individuals, but specifically institutions accused of “whitewashing or justifying” abuses.
It cited the International Court of Justice’s ruling deeming Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful, and legal experts who say Israel’s military campaign in Gaza constitutes genocide.
Among those signing were Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Riz Ahmed, Javier Bardem, Miriam Margolyes, and Cynthia Nixon.
Israel has dismissed such boycotts as discriminatory, saying its actions in Gaza are acts of “self-defense” following Hamas’s October 2023 assault that killed 1,200 people and saw over 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli figures. The subsequent campaign has killed tens of thousands in Gaza and displaced its entire population.
The pledge coincided with the Venice Film Festival’s screening of The Voice of Hind Rajab – a film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces, which earned a standing ovation. Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix served as executive producers.
View the full list here: https://filmworkersforpalestine.org/
