A pledge by more than 4,000 actors and filmmakers, including some Hollywood A-listers, to boycott the Israeli film industry was met Saturday with a very public denunciation by Paramount.
The mega studio is the first in Hollywood to condemn the anti-Israel pledge, as reported by Deadline.
The outlet notes the controversial promise was issued in an open letter signed by some Hollywood luminaries including – but not limited to – Olivia Colman, Lily Gladstone, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Sarsgaard, and Elliot Page, as well as director Ava DuVernay.
The missive demanded the boycott, claiming Israel’s film studios are implicated in the Jewish state’s fight Palestinian terrorists and their supporters.
It claimed:
Inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid who refused to screen their films in apartheid South Africa, 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.
Filmmakers United Against Apartheid was founded in 1987 by Martin Scorsese and the late Jonathan Demme.
The pledge claims to draw inspiration from the cultural boycott that added its voice to the end of apartheid in South Africa.
Paramount, which was acquired last month by the Larry Ellison family and private equity firm RedBird Capital Partners, made clear its opposition to the campaign.
“At Paramount, we believe 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. This is our creative mission,” the company said in statement to Deadline.
“We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers,” the statement continued. “The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world.
“We need more engagement and communication — not less.”
The matter did not end there.
The Israeli Film and TV Producers Association issued their own response to the pledge, claiming “The signatories of this petition are targeting the wrong people.”
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