On September 8, a coalition of industry workers pledged to sever professional ties with their Israeli counterparts, whom they accuse of being "complicit in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people." Just two days later, the roster of co-signatories had swelled to nearly 4,000 individuals, boasting names like Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Lily Gladstone, Tilda Swinton, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, as well as other Oscar, Emmy, and Palm d’Or laureates.
Israeli industry leaders, however, deem the boycott misguided and self-defeating, arguing that its repercussions only serve to undermine and isolate a demographic within the country that is among the most empathetic toward the Palestinian cause and perhaps best equipped to articulate its nuances. "For decades, Israeli creators, artists, and storytellers—myself included—have dedicated our craft to mirroring the intricacies of our reality," Nadav Ben Simon, chairman of the Israeli screenwriters’ guild, told The Guardian. "In moments like these, it is our duty as creators to amplify the light, not deepen the shadows."
The right-wing Israeli government and its domestic and international allies have consistently dismissed claims by activists, scholars, human rights organizations, and international legal bodies that the nation is perpetrating genocide and apartheid in Palestinian territories. (The signatories’ letter, outlining their rationale, makes no reference to the Gaza-controlling militant group Hamas, which incited Israel’s retaliation after killing nearly 1,200 Israelis in October 2023, nor does it mention the hostages still held by Hamas.)
Merav Etrog Bar of the Directors Guild of Israel and Lior Elefant of Israel’s Documentary Forum issued a joint statement: "Numerous films and series, both documentary and narrative, produced in Israel have approached [the Palestinian crisis] with sensitivity, fairness, and critical thought; there are countless examples. While Israeli filmmakers are not their government, we shoulder responsibility for its actions and find ourselves trapped between a dilemma: on one hand, suppression from within, and on the other, international boycott from without."
Tzvi Gottlieb, CEO of the Israeli Film & TV Producers Association, told The Hollywood Reporter that the boycott is "counterproductive," elaborating, "No group in Israel has worked harder to advocate for anti-violence and has been more critical of this government. This industry—already small, already fragile—exposes the toll of occupation. We need support, not harm."
Notably, none of the high-profile boycott signatories seem to have taken comparable public stances against the Russian industry (in light of the war in Ukraine) or the Chinese industry (given alleged human rights abuses against China’s Uyghur Muslim population). "Israelis are the easy target," Gottlieb remarked.
The boycott targets Israeli institutions, including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters, and production companies that may receive government backing. Gottlieb pointed out that in Israel, as in many nations, art critical of the government often garners government funding: "Here, we have Kan commissioning productions; in Britain, it’s the BBC. The government hasn’t dictated what we can’t say."
Liat Benasuly, a board member of the Israeli Film & TV Producers Association and a producer of Netflix’s Fauda, which delves into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, finds the boycott both tragic and exasperating. "I’m extremely left-leaning, and I can’t stress enough how much I oppose this abhorrent government. My friends and all the artists here share my sentiments. We are striving to transform our reality—and [the signatories] are attempting to muzzle our voices, our art, as we endeavor to discuss this complex situation. This only aids this government, which would prefer our silence as well. It’s ideal for them."
