Jews in Hollywood come to the defense of Mark Ruffalo: "Stop the false use of antisemitism"
More than 170 Jewish figures in the entertainment industry and beyond are standing with Mark Ruffalo after he was accused of antisemitism following his remarks on the Paramount-Warner deal.
The storm surrounding Mark Ruffalo has resurfaced. According to a report published on Tuesday on the Variety website, more than 170 prominent Jewish figures from the entertainment industry and beyond have signed a letter of support for the actor, after his remarks regarding the Paramount-Warner deal led to accusations of antisemitism.
In the letter, signed among others by directors Joel Coen, Todd Haynes, Emma Seligman, stand-up comedian Ilana Glazer, actor Wallace Shawn, and playwright Tony Kushner, the signatories speak out against what they call a smear campaign against Ruffalo. "We have a simple message for the world: enough," they write, arguing that his criticism of the merger deal and the business ties of the Ellison family with Israel is not antisemitic, but an expression of a political position and a moral duty.
The controversy began on August 21, when Ruffalo questioned the mega-deal and linked the Ellison family, the Oracle company, and Israel's military activity to the merger. "These frightening technologies will likely merge into one of the largest media corporations in the world, and one day will be used against you," he wrote at the time. He also described the situation in Gaza as a genocide built on a system of oppression operated through Oracle. These remarks drew condemnation from Paramount, Noa Tishby, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
However, Ruffalo also received significant support, including from Hannah Einbinder, star of Hacks, who is also a signatory. "We are artists, writers, creative people, religious leaders, and Jewish thinkers, and in response to the shocking smear campaign against our esteemed colleague Mark Ruffalo, we have a simple message for the world: enough," the letter states. "Enough of the false and dangerous use of accusations of antisemitism against those who are brave enough to point out the obvious: that the attack on the Palestinian people and the attack on our freedoms at home are deeply connected, and there is nothing antisemitic about recognizing this fact."
The signatories also mentioned a Washington Post poll, according to which 61% of US Jews agree that Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza, and four out of ten agree that these crimes amount to genocide. "Do those who attack Mark Ruffalo as an antisemite really believe that all these American Jews are also antisemites?" they asked. "We stand proudly with Mark Ruffalo, and with all the decent people who rise up courageously and speak truth to those in power."
Stand-up comedian Ilana Glazer issued a separate statement: "Calling Mark Ruffalo an antisemite because he questions a merger of giant corporations is not only absurd — it is a dangerous way to silence legitimate criticism. Mark has consistently spoken out against antisemitism, while at the same time standing up for Palestinian rights. It is the right of every American to discuss media concentration and the dangers of monopolistic corporate power, without turning antisemitism into a weapon to intimidate people."
