1,200 Hollywood stars blast anti-Israel boycott as 'antisemitic propaganda'

More than 1,200 Hollywood producers and celebrities have signed a joint letter on Thursday denouncing a proposed boycott of Israeli creators and actors. The signatories accused the organizers of the boycott initiative of spreading antisemitic propaganda.

Prominent names backing the letter include actors Debra Messing, Liev Schreiber, and Mayim Bialik, along with media mogul Haim Saban.

“We recognize the power of cinema. We recognize the power of storytelling. That’s why we cannot remain silent when a story is weaponized, when lies are disguised as justice, and when artists are deceived into becoming tools to amplify antisemitic propaganda,” the letter stated.

“The earlier statement promotes disinformation that supports arbitrary censorship and the erasure of art. Silencing voices that seek common ground and humanity is wrong, harmful and amounts to collective punishment,” the letter continued.

The letter was issued in direct response to a petition signed earlier this month by about 1,800 Hollywood actors and producers calling for a boycott of the Israeli film industry over the Gaza war. Among the signatories were Javier Bardem, Emma Stone, Cynthia Nixon, and Mark Ruffalo, who accused Israel of “genocide” and “apartheid.”

The joint letter published on Thursday urged the signatories of the anti-Israel boycott initiative to reconsider their position.

In a statement, Messing said, “When artists boycott other artists solely based on their country of origin, it is blatant discrimination and a betrayal of our role as storytellers. History has shown us that boycotts against Jews have long been tools of authoritarian regimes. By joining this effort, these artists are knowingly or unknowingly aligning themselves with a dark legacy of antisemitism.”

Bialik echoed similar sentiments, stressing her opposition to the proposed discrimination against Israeli film producers.

“Artists and creators have a unique opportunity and responsibility to remind the world of our shared humanity. A boycott of filmmakers, studios, production companies and individuals simply because they are Israeli fuels division and contributes to a troubling culture of marginalization," Bialik said. "Moreover, this boycott pledge does nothing to end the war in Gaza, bring the hostages home or help curb the alarming rise of antisemitism around the world.”

The war in Gaza has divided the Hollywood community.

On March 24, 450 Jewish Hollywood celebrities, including Tovah Feldshuh, Michael Rapaport, along with Messing and Bialik, condemned Director Jonathan Glazer for equating Israel with the terrorist organization Hamas during his speech delivered at the Academy Awards.

“We refute our Jewishness being hijacked for the purpose of drawing a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination,” they stated in the letter.