Open letter in Guardian re Israeli film industry boycott

[dairydebris]

I loved the sentiments expressed here.

Link to full story below.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/25/liev-schreiber-and-debra-messing-among-names-rejecting-pledge-to-boycott-israeli-films

We know the power of film. We know the power of story. That is why we cannot stay silent when a story is turned into a weapon, when lies are dressed up as justice, and when artists are misled into amplifying antisemitic propaganda.
The pledge circulated under the banner of “Film Workers for Palestine” is not an act of conscience. It is a document of misinformation that advocates for arbitrary censorship and the erasure of art.

To censor the very voices trying to find common ground and express their humanity, is wrong, ineffective, and a form of collective punishment.

Israel’s film industry includes groundbreaking, celebratory, and critical projects about Palestinians and Jews, which many of you have lauded and celebrated. Israel’s film community is restless, argumentative, and independent, where directors challenge ministers and many of the very festivals you target, consistently program dissent.
Israel’s entertainment industry is a vibrant hub of collaboration between Jewish and Palestinian artists and creatives, who work together every single day to tell complex stories that entertain and inform both communities and the world. Israeli film institutions are not government entities. They are often the loudest critics of government policy.

The pledge uses nebulous terms like “implicating” and “complicity.” Who will decide which Israeli film-makers and film institutions are “complicit”? A McCarthyist committee with blacklists? Or is “complicity” just a pretext to boycott all Israelis and Zionists – 95% of the world’s Jewish population – no matter what they create or believe?

History warns us. Censorship has been used to silence film-makers before: Nazi Germany’s propaganda machine, Soviet censorship, and even Hollywood’s own blacklists. Every time it was dressed up as virtue. And every time it was oppression. Every time, its targets expanded.

We know that many of you have good intentions and believe you are standing for peace. But your names are being weaponised and tied to lies and discrimination. This pledge erases dissenting Israeli voices, legitimises falsehoods, and shields Hamas from blame.

If you want peace, call for the immediate release of the remaining hostages. Support film-makers who create dialogue across communities.

Stand against Hamas.

Let art speak the whole truth.

We call on all our colleagues in the entertainment industry to reject this discriminatory and antisemitic boycott call that only adds another roadblock on the path to peace.

👏

Brilliant

Had an emotional moment thinking of the terrible things humans are capable of doing to each other yes, but also the way we tell stories and create beauty- and how this can bring us together.

Couldn't agree more. This is so often what is lost in the drive to impose orthodoxy on creative activity and shoehorn people into straitjackets of uniformity.

Big respect to the people who signed it. The comparison with McCarthyism is very apt. I hope it doesn't affect their careers. Censorship is always stupid, particularly when you think of brilliant directors like Samuel Maoz (Lebanon was an incredible film!). The antisemitic pigeon-holing is outrageous.

Interesting that the Guardian article showcases the Jewish names signing this, so that anyone who can't be bothered to read the article would just dismiss it with "Well, they would, wouldn't they" ... when arguably celebrities like Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix are more well known in the UK.

I agree with the sentiment as well.

Film can be a powerful medium to understand other people’s stories.

Israeli filmmakers should be involved in building bridges.

It is concerning that films that could do this are being censored by the Israeli government and then potentially not being shown in international film festivals.

The article says-
The open letter makes the point that much of the Israeli film and TV industry are “often the loudest critics of government policy” – and frequently penalised by them for this. Last week, the winner of Israel’s own academy awards, The Sea – about a Palestinian boy who risks death to go to the beach in Tel Aviv – was submitted as the country’s entry to the Oscars. This led to the Israeli sports and culture minister vowing to cut funding from the awards.

This sounds like an impactful film. Shame it is seen as “too pro-Palestinian” by the government.

Some how I think this film won’t be boycotted by international film festivals.

Which makes me think- that if Israeli film makers want to make films that truly do aim to promote links - they might not be boycotted? It will depend on the film content? That’s not to say they all need to “pro-Palestinian” but perhaps speak about challenges the world sees playing out in Isreal / WB/ Gaza in a fair way?

"The Sea' has been submitted to the Oscars despite opposition from the Israeli administration. I'm looking forward to seeing it.

I think boycotts forment more division where more cooperation is what is needed. I think they also risk discriminating against those who do not deserve to be discriminated against. I also dont think they work as they are intended. I appreciate other people have other opinions on this.

I just found the message of collaborative storytelling quite moving.

( also agreed with the message on Hamas and the hostages of course )

Love the idea of collaborative story telling! I hope that films that strive to do this are not boycotted and that people do see a message the film is portraying- and not just that it’s from Israel.

Let’s hope The Sea is distributed internationally and gets the recognition it seems to deserve.

I don’t think Israeli filmmakers are generally being censored - they will continue to make films? I also imagine Netflix and other such services will also continue to show the films?

Whether there is international collaboration will depend on the content- potentially?

Celebrities like Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix and almost 4000 others signed the pledge not to work with Israeli film groups “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people” so that their names aren't connected to discrimination and mass slaughter.

Ah! I misread that bit! Now I feel a proper chump.

Well, that's rather depressing...