Actors, entertainers pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions over Gaza

A significant movement is shaking up the entertainment world, with over 1,800 actors, entertainers, and producers, including several prominent Hollywood figures, pledging a boycott against Israeli film institutions.

This collective stand, initiated on Monday, commits signatories to refrain from working with Israeli film bodies—such as festivals, cinemas, broadcasters, and production companies—that they view as complicit in the alleged abuse of Palestinians. The pledge specifically cites concerns about "genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."

Drawing inspiration from the historic Filmmakers United Against Apartheid movement, which refused to screen films in apartheid South Africa, the pledge emphasizes that it is not targeting individual Israeli film workers. Instead, it focuses on institutions deemed to be "whitewashing or justifying" human rights abuses against Palestinians.

Among the notable names adding their signatures to this powerful declaration are Academy Award winners Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Riz Ahmed, Javier Bardem, and Cynthia Nixon, signaling a broad reach within the industry.

This boycott comes amidst a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, characterized by widespread starvation and global outrage over the scale of Israel's military operations. The pledge references the International Court of Justice's opinion that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, alongside assessments from numerous rights experts and scholars who have described Israel's actions in Gaza as amounting to genocide.

For its part, the Israeli government has consistently rejected such boycott calls, labeling them as discriminatory. Israel maintains that its actions in Gaza are acts of "self-defense," a response to the October 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas militants, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

The ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza has led to tens of thousands of casualties, the internal displacement of the entire Gazan population, and a severe starvation crisis. Coincidentally, last week, a film titled 'The Voice of Hind Rajab,' which chronicles the story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces, garnered a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, with Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix listed among its executive producers.