Scores of Jewish artists, writers, actors, directors, faith leaders, filmmakers, academics and others clapped back Tuesday against the antisemitism accusations being hurled at actor Mark Ruffalo after his criticism of the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger linking its CEO to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
Several, from longtime activist and star Jane Fonda to “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder, have done so individually since a Paramount spokesperson told The Wrap that Ruffalo was relying on “anti-Semitic tropes” to criticize the controversial deal, which a dozen states are suing to block. On Aug. 21, Ruffalo drew attention to the ties of billionaire father-son duo Larry and David Ellison to the war Israel has waged in Gaza since Hamas militants launched a deadly attack against the Jewish nation on Oct. 7, 2023.
About 170 supporters have signed an open letter decrying the “weaponization” of antisemitism claims used to undercut criticism of both the merger and Israel’s ongoing military action in Gaza. The letter amplified Ruffalo’s contention that a merger could allow them to use the same technologies to impose a dystopian AI lock on creativity and eliminate thousands of jobs.
“We are Jewish artists, writers, creative professionals, faith leaders and thinkers who have, in response to the outrageous smear campaign against our respected colleague Mark Ruffalo, a simple message to share with the world: Enough!” the likes of writer Naomi Klein, playwright Wallace Shawn, filmmaker Joel Coen, Tony Kushner, Einbinder and scores of others wrote. “Enough with the false and dangerous weaponization of charges of antisemitism against those who are brave enough to point out the obvious: that the assault on the Palestinian people and the assault on our liberties at home are deeply interconnected, and there is nothing antisemitic about recognizing that fact.”
Far from being the “mere combination of two huge multinational companies,” the deal is “part of a larger project of tech-driven domination … a project Larry Ellison and his partners have never been shy about trumpeting — and one they themselves have explicitly linked to their support for the ongoing depredations being visited on the people of Palestine and their silencing of critics of those horrors,” the letter states. “The AI road to WarnerMount runs through Gaza. Pointing out the crucial connections between what is happening in Gaza and what is happening in Hollywood is the exact opposite of antisemitism. It is, for us, the very essence of Jewish ethical duty.”
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