In a bold move that has sent ripples through the global film industry, more than 1,800 film professionals—including some of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors and directors—have signed a pledge to boycott Israeli film institutions they accuse of complicity in human rights abuses against Palestinians. The initiative, led by the advocacy group Film Workers for Palestine, was made public on September 8, 2025, and has since gathered support from a remarkable cross-section of the entertainment world.
The signatories read like a who’s who of contemporary cinema. Oscar winners Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Tilda Swinton, and Javier Bardem are joined by prominent names such as Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Ayo Edebiri, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Rob Delaney, Cynthia Nixon, and Susan Sarandon. Acclaimed filmmakers including Ken Loach, Adam McKay, and Gael García Bernal have also lent their names to the cause, as reported by The Guardian and Reuters. The pledge, published in several major outlets, reflects a growing willingness by cultural figures to use their platforms for political advocacy amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
The letter, posted by Film Workers for Palestine, was clear in its intent: “We pledge not to screen films, appear at or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions—including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters, and production companies—that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” The group emphasized that their boycott targets institutions, not individuals, urging film workers to discern “complicity” by referring to guidelines set by Palestinian civil society. The letter continued, “In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity in that unrelenting horror.”
Film Workers for Palestine, founded in early 2024, drew inspiration from the historic example of Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, whose boycott of South African institutions played a notable role in the cultural resistance to apartheid. “Our initiative is rooted in historic struggles,” the group explained in a statement to the Associated Press, “in particular the successful international movement to end the apartheid regime of South Africa.”
At the heart of the campaign are accusations that certain Israeli film institutions—specifically public and private broadcasters and major festivals like the Jerusalem Film Festival, Haifa International Film Festival, Docaviv, and TLVfest—have collaborated with the Israeli government and, in the words of the open letter, are involved in “whitewashing, denying and justifying Israel’s war crimes.” The group claims that these institutions have long-standing ties to state narratives and policies, which, according to multiple human rights experts cited in the pledge, amount to apartheid and genocide in Gaza.
The boycott, however, does not call for a blanket refusal to engage with every Israeli film institution. Instead, it encourages film professionals to “ask questions and seek guidelines set by Palestinian civil society” to determine whether a particular institution is complicit. The letter also stresses that the campaign is not about targeting individuals based on their identity, but about challenging institutional behavior: “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. This refusal takes aim at institutional complicity, not identity.”
The context for this pledge is the nearly two-year war in Gaza, which has seen widespread destruction and a mounting humanitarian crisis. The campaign is part of a broader wave of cultural and literary boycotts aimed at protesting Israel’s military actions. According to Reuters, the pledge references the 2024 International Court of Justice opinion that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and notes assessments by various rights experts and scholars that Israel’s military assault on Gaza constitutes genocide.
Israel, for its part, has categorically rejected these accusations. The government maintains that its actions in Gaza are acts of self-defense in response to the October 2023 attack by Hamas militants, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the taking of more than 250 hostages. Israeli officials insist that the military seeks to limit civilian casualties, blaming Hamas for embedding fighters in densely populated areas. Calls for boycotts of Israeli institutions have been dismissed by Israeli authorities as discriminatory and counterproductive.
Leaders within Israel’s film industry have also pushed back strongly. Tzvika Gottlieb, CEO of the Israeli Film & TV Producers Association, told the Associated Press, “We are the industry that has been struggling for years, making efforts for decades to promote discussion, working with Palestinians and Israelis to tell the story of the conflict from all sides.” Gottlieb emphasized that Israeli creators “have consistently maintained a critical stance toward government policies, and are very vocal in criticism of this administration’s current actions. We urgently call for an immediate end to the violence, an end to the suffering, and the release of all hostages right now.” In an official statement, his group added, “This call for a boycott is profoundly misguided. By targeting us—the creators who give voice to diverse narratives and foster dialogue—these signatories are undermining their own cause and attempting to silence us.”
Film Workers for Palestine, in response, argued that meaningful change is possible if Israeli institutions “end complicity in Israel’s genocide and apartheid, and endorse the full rights of the Palestinian people under international law, in line with Palestinian civil society guidelines.” The group lamented that, “To date, almost none has.”
The debate has also played out against a backdrop of high-profile demonstrations. Just days before the pledge was announced, an estimated 10,000 people participated in a pro-Palestinian rally at the Venice International Film Festival, following calls from the Venice4Palestine group for the festival to condemn the destruction in Gaza. The festival also saw the documentary The Voice of Hind Rajab, about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza, receive a standing ovation. Notably, Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix served as executive producers on the film, underscoring the extent to which the issue has engaged major Hollywood talent.
The list of signatories reflects a wide ideological and generational spectrum, including progressive Jewish artists such as Ilana Glazer, Hannah Einbinder, and Wallace Shawn, as well as producers James Wilson, Robyn Slovo, and Tracey Seaward. Mark Ruffalo, known for his activism, has been particularly vocal, participating in other protests this year and speaking out on a range of issues, from immigration to economic justice.
As the entertainment world grapples with its role in global politics, the pledge by Film Workers for Palestine stands as one of the most significant cultural boycotts in recent memory. Supporters assert that it is a necessary act of solidarity with Palestinians facing “unrelenting horror,” while critics warn that it risks undermining dialogue and silencing voices committed to peace. The coming months will reveal whether the boycott sparks broader change—or deepens the divides it seeks to address.
