Sharon Osbourne, Liev Schreiber, and Mayim Bialik are part of a group exceeding 1,200 Hollywood figures who have signed an open letter opposing a previously widespread boycott of Israeli film entities.
Matt Winkelmeyer; Jeff Spicer; Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images
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Matt Winkelmeyer; Jeff Spicer; Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images
The entertainment industry is currently witnessing a split in opinion regarding the Gaza conflict, expressed through competing open letters.
On September 9, over 5,000 actors and filmmakers, including notable names such as Pedro Pascal, Javier Bardem, and Selena Gomez, endorsed a letter committing to boycott Israeli film organizations.
In contrast, a separate letter rejecting this boycott has been signed by more than 1,200 industry professionals, including Liev Schreiber, Mayim Bialik, and Sharon Osbourne.
Published on Thursday by the entertainment advocacy groups Creative Community For Peace and The Brigade, the letter condemns the boycott as a “misleading document promoting arbitrary censorship and the suppression of art.”
The signatories urge the entertainment sector to dismiss this “discriminatory and antisemitic boycott,” warning that it only obstructs progress toward peace.
They further argue that the boycott “silences diverse Israeli perspectives, endorses inaccuracies, and inadvertently protects Hamas from accountability.”
Addressing those who support the boycott, the letter appeals: “If your goal is peace, advocate for the immediate release of all hostages and oppose Hamas unequivocally.”
The initial letter, signed by the likes of Emma Stone, Gael Garcia Bernal, Alyssa Milano, Olivia Colman, Brian Cox, and Ilana Glazer, alongside filmmakers such as Ava DuVernay, Adam McKay, and Yorgos Lanthimos, called for avoiding collaboration with Israeli film institutions accused of involvement in “genocide and apartheid against Palestinians.” This letter was disseminated in five languages by Filmmakers for Palestine, an organization dedicated to ending genocide and supporting Palestinian freedom. Israel denies these genocide allegations.
Filmmakers for Palestine responded to the counter-letter by labeling it as “thinly disguised anti-Palestinian prejudice.”
While the opposing letter features fewer top-tier celebrities, it includes influential industry leaders such as former Paramount Global chair Shari Redstone, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, Will & Grace creator David Kohan, and FOX Entertainment Global CEO Fernando Szew.
Paramount Studios, the sole major studio to publicly address the boycott, issued a statement on September 12 via chief communications officer Melissa Zukerman, emphasizing that “silencing artists based on nationality hinders understanding and peace efforts.” The statement advocates for the entertainment world to foster storytelling and dialogue rather than division.
