More than 1,200 names from the global film industry have signed a pledge refusing to work with Israeli film institutions accused of complicity in genocide and apartheid. The declaration, launched by Film Workers for Palestine, has grown quickly, gathering support from Oscar, BAFTA, Emmy, and Palme d’Or winners. Among the most notable signatories are Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebiri, Yorgos Lanthimos, Josh O’Connor, Mark Ruffalo, Ava DuVernay, and Javier Bardem. Their public commitment echoes past cultural boycotts against apartheid South Africa. It represents one of the most significant artistic interventions in the war on Gaza to date.
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The pledge, first circulated on Monday, included a wide range of actors, directors, and screenwriters. Alongside Colman and Edebiri, supporters include Cynthia Nixon, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, Gael García Bernal, Hannah Einbinder, Paapa Essiedu, and Melissa Barrera. Organizers highlighted that more than 2,000 film professionals had endorsed the statement within 24 hours of its release.
Hannah Einbinder explained her decision plainly. As a Jewish American, she said that her tax dollars directly fund the bombardment of Gaza, and artists must act where governments fail. Her words underscored the moral urgency of the campaign, which stresses that silence in the face of atrocity is complicity.
What the Boycott Covers
Film Workers for Palestine outlined specific institutions that fall under the boycott, naming festivals such as Jerusalem Film Festival, Haifa International Film Festival, Docaviv, and TLVfest. According to the pledge, complicity includes whitewashing genocide, providing cover for apartheid, or partnering with the government responsible.
The group cited the International Court of Justice ruling that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza, grounding the pledge in international law. The statement drew inspiration from Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, the 1987 collective led by Jonathan Demme and Martin Scorsese that opposed cultural ties with South Africa. By invoking this precedent, today’s signatories connected their action to a longer history of cultural resistance to systemic oppression.
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Responses and Significance
The backlash has been swift in some quarters. Israel’s culture minister called the boycott cynical and disconnected. Right-wing outlets framed it as misguided celebrity politics. Yet across global media, the breadth of the names involved has made the story impossible to dismiss. CBC reported more than 2,000 signatories by Monday night. While Al Jazeera noted the action builds on calls from Palestinian filmmakers for solidarity.
For festivals and institutions, the consequences are clear. The boycott threatens to cut Israel off from some of the most respected names in cinema. For audiences, it highlights that film is not neutral. Cultural platforms carry power, and that power can either sustain oppression or challenge it.
This pledge makes clear that artists are choosing the latter path. By refusing ties with Israeli institutions, they stand with Palestinian communities who have endured decades of violence and dispossession.
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It took a while for Hollywood to start speaking out against the genocide but better late than never. I see the delay as being a consequence of the power of the Israel Lobby in the US but the images of death, malnutrition and destruction in Gaza have overwhelmed their propaganda machine somewhat.
A great book to read, by the distinguished professors John Measheimer and Stephen Walt; The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy.