Paramount rejects Israeli film boycott signed by Hollywood stars
Paramount has condemned an attempted Israeli film boycott after almost 4,000 names in Hollywood signed a pledge not to work with Israeli film institutions.
The pledge was originally published on September 8th by Film Workers for Palestine. Names on the list come from far and wide across the industry, including directors such as Yorgos Lanthimos and Mike Leigh, to actors including Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, and Ayo Edibiri.
The statement cites examples of complicity with Israeli filmmaking companies such as “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them”. One example of this includes attendance at the Jerusalem Film Festival, which partners with the Israeli government.
A further list of names who have committed themselves to the pledge includes the likes of Olivia Colman, Josh O’Connor, Ava DuVernay, Adam McKay, Andrew Garfield, Emma D’Arcy, Joaquin Phoenix, Joshua Oppenheimer, Hannah Einbinder, Paapa Essiedu, Gael Garcia Bernal, Riz Ahmed, Melissa Barrera, and Javier Bardem.
Per Variety, Paramount publicly distanced itself from the industry move. Chief communications officer Melissa Zukerman shared a statement that read: “At Paramount, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect and inspire people, promote mutual understanding, and preserve the moments, ideas, and events that shape the world we share. This is our creative mission.”
The statement continued, “We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers. Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace.”
Film Workers for Palestine deny that the pledge is silencing Israeli individuals. The FAQ section of their website reads, “The call is for film workers to refuse to work with Israeli institutions that are complicit in Israel’s human rights abuses against the Palestinian people.”
It added, “The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world. We need more engagement and communication — not less.”
This comes after Paramount was forced to pay DonaldTrump a $16 million settlement in a legal dispute after he took issue with an issue of the ’60 Minutes’ programme featuring Kamala Harris. Those affiliated with the pledge are yet to respond to Paramount’s position.
Film Workers for Palestine said in response to Paramount’s statement:: “As has been widely reported, the Film Workers Pledge to End Complicity, endorsed by more than 4,000 actors, directors and others, does not target individuals based on identity. The pledge and the accompanying FAQs clearly state that the targets are complicit Israeli film institutions and companies, given their pervasive involvement in whitewashing or justifying Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its apartheid regime against all Palestinians.
They continue: “We sincerely hope that Paramount, in its statement Friday, isn’t intentionally misrepresenting the pledge in an attempt to silence our colleagues in the film industry. Such a move would only shield a genocidal regime from criticism at a time when global outrage is exponentially growing and while meaningful steps towards accountability are being taken by many. An important detail that should not be overlooked is the fact that Paramount’s new owner, Larry Ellison, has a well-documented, close relationship with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, has in the past reportedly vacationed on a Hawaiian island owned by Ellison, and, according to Haaretz, was even offered a seat on the board of Oracle, Ellison’s company.
Film Workers for Palestine add: “We are heartened that thousands of filmmakers worldwide have taken a collective moral stand by pledging not to work with Israeli institutions complicit in genocide. Our initiative is rooted in historic struggles, in particular the successful international movement to end the apartheid regime of South Africa. Almost two years into Israel’s genocide in Gaza, with seemingly no end in sight, a rapidly growing number of film workers are recognising that withdrawing their participation from an evil system, to paraphrase Martin Luther King Jr, is an essential duty they can no longer ignore.
Their statement concludes: “Should Israeli film institutions wish to continue working with pledge signatories, their choice is clear: end complicity in Israel’s genocide and apartheid, and endorse the full rights of the Palestinian people under internation.”
This article was updated on September 17th to include a statement from Film Workers for Palestine.
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