‘Looking away was never a choice for me’: How Hollywood’s love affair with Israel turned sour

Growing numbers of actors and industry professionals are challenging Hollywood's "deep complicity" with Israel, particularly regarding the actions in Gaza that experts and human rights groups have described as a genocide. Hannah Einbinder, a US actress, wore an Artists4Ceasefire pin at the Golden Globe Awards, signaling her disapproval of the industry's alignment with Israel.

Over 5,500 industry members, including A-list actors like Josh O'Connor, Olivia Colman, Andrew Garfield, and Emma Stone, signed a pledge from Film Workers for Palestine (FWP) to end complicity with the genocide. The pledge called for not screening films, appearing at, or working with Israeli film institutions implicated in genocide and apartheid.

Filmmakers are now seeking consultation requirements for particular territories in contracts to challenge this normalisation. Juliet Stevenson, a British actor and human rights activist, stated that she felt "it was a no-brainer for me to speak up" and that her career was not a consideration. The recent success of an Israeli film, NAZA, which received a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, demonstrated that Hollywood can rise to support the Palestinian cause when the community stands together.

However, there are concerns from corporations like Paramount, recently acquired by pro-Israel billionaire Larry Ellison, who criticized FWP's pledge as a "boycott" and accused it of meddling in Gaza coverage. Mark Ruffalo, a vocal pro-Palestine supporter, faced accusations of antisemitism after criticizing Paramount's merger with Warner Bros Discovery, which he believed would have catastrophic consequences for the entertainment industry.