The simmering controversy over Hollywood’s response to the war in Gaza reached a new peak this week as Paramount became the first major studio to publicly denounce a sweeping pledge by more than 4,000 actors, filmmakers, and industry professionals vowing to boycott Israeli film institutions. The pledge, initiated by the group Film Workers for Palestine and signed by a host of prominent names—including Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Olivia Colman, and Tilda Swinton—calls for a refusal to collaborate with Israeli film festivals, production companies, and broadcasters deemed complicit in alleged abuses against Palestinians.
The open letter, released on September 8, 2025, has sent ripples through the global entertainment industry. According to Reuters, the signatories are not calling for a blanket ban on working with Israeli individuals but instead are targeting institutions they believe are “whitewashing or justifying” what they describe as genocide and apartheid in Gaza. The effort draws explicit inspiration from the international boycott of South African institutions during the apartheid era, a campaign that many credit with helping to bring about change in that country.
“As filmmakers, actors, film industry workers, and institutions, we recognize the power of cinema to shape perceptions,” the group wrote in its pledge, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. “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.” The letter continues: “We pledge not to screen films, appear at, or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions—including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters, and production companies—which have been implicated in attacks on Palestinians.”
Since the onset of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, the humanitarian toll has been staggering. The Gaza Health Ministry reports more than 64,000 deaths, with tens of thousands more injured or displaced. International criticism has mounted, with multiple rights experts and scholars, as cited by USA TODAY, assessing that Israel’s actions amount to genocide. Israel, for its part, maintains that its military actions are an act of self-defense following a deadly October 2023 attack by Hamas, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 250 taken hostage.
Paramount, which was recently acquired by Larry Ellison’s family and RedBird Capital Partners after an $8 billion merger with Skydance, broke Hollywood’s silence on the issue with a statement on September 12, 2025. “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,” the studio said, as reported by TheWrap. “We need more engagement and communication—not less.” Paramount further emphasized its belief 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.”
Paramount’s leadership, including CEO David Ellison, reportedly felt strongly about the need to speak out, believing that individuals should not be boycotted based on their nationality. “The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world,” the statement added.
The studio’s response has not gone unchallenged. Film Workers for Palestine quickly issued a pointed rebuttal, accusing Paramount of intentionally misrepresenting the pledge. “As has been widely reported, the Film Workers Pledge to End Complicity … 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,” the group said in a statement to TheWrap.
The group’s statement continued: “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.”
The group also drew attention to the personal ties between Paramount’s new owner, Larry Ellison, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to reports cited by Haaretz and referenced in the group’s statement, Netanyahu has vacationed on Ellison’s Hawaiian island and was even offered a seat on the board of Oracle, Ellison’s company. “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,” the statement said.
Film Workers for Palestine emphasized that their campaign is rooted in historical struggles, particularly the successful international movement to end apartheid in 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,” the group wrote. “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 international law, in line with Palestinian civil society guidelines. To date, almost none has.”
The controversy has drawn commentary from other corners of the industry as well. Ari Ingel, executive director at the Creative Community for Peace, criticized the pledge for “amplifying hate.” “The path to peace will not be paved by boycotts, censorship or exclusion, but by supporting the courageous individuals who refuse to give up on co-existence,” Ingel wrote. “Because in the end, peace will be written not by those who divide, but by those who dare to create together.”
Film Workers for Palestine’s website further clarifies that the pledge does not call for a boycott of Israeli individuals, stating: “No. 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. There are also 2 million Palestinians with Israeli citizenship, and Palestinian civil society has developed context sensitive guidelines for that community.” The group cites resources from Amnesty International, the United Nations, and Scholars in Holocaust and Genocide Studies to support its definition of genocide.
This clash between one of Hollywood’s biggest studios and a large swath of its creative community underscores the deep divisions within the industry—and indeed, across the world—over how best to respond to the ongoing crisis in Gaza. As the humanitarian toll mounts and calls for accountability grow louder, the debate over the role of art, boycott, and engagement in the face of conflict is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
