In a bold escalation of Hollywood’s deepening divide over the Israel-Palestine conflict, Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone and Avengers star Mark Ruffalo have joined over 4,000 film industry professionals in pledging to boycott Israeli film institutions accused of complicity in “genocide and apartheid” against Palestinians.
The initiative, launched in early September by the group Film Workers for Palestine, calls on signatories to refuse to “screen films, appear at, or otherwise work with” Israeli companies implicated in human rights abuses amid the ongoing Gaza crisis. What began as a petition with around 1,200 signatures has snowballed into a movement backed by A-list heavyweights including Joaquin Phoenix, Olivia Colman, Javier Bardem, Ayo Edebiri, and director Jonathan Glazer.
Emma Stone, fresh off her second Academy Award for Poor Things, has largely stayed out of the political spotlight in recent years. Her decision to sign the pledge marks a significant shift, signaling that even reticent stars are unwilling to remain silent. “This is about standing for basic human dignity,” a source close to Stone told
Variety, echoing the pledge’s language that frames the boycott as a moral imperative rather than antisemitism.
Mark Ruffalo, long a vocal activist on issues from climate change to racial justice, has been even more outspoken. In a recent interview, the
Hulk actor called for a full “Boycott, Divest, Sanction, and Prosecute” campaign against Israel, drawing parallels to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. “Sanctions on South Africa helped free its Black people—it’s time for sanctions on Israel to free Palestinians,” Ruffalo stated, amplifying calls echoed across social media.
The pledge explicitly targets organizations like the Israel Film Fund and the Jerusalem Film Festival, which signatories claim receive government funding tied to military actions in Gaza. Proponents argue it’s a targeted cultural boycott, exempting Palestinian-Israeli collaborators and focusing solely on state-linked entities. Supporters on X (formerly Twitter) hailed Stone and Ruffalo as heroes, with one viral post declaring, “Emma Stone signs pledge to BOYCOTT any film company supporting the GAZA GENOCIDE.”
The entertainment industry has erupted in backlash. Paramount Pictures issued a rare public condemnation, labeling the boycott “deeply misguided” and a threat to artistic freedom. Warner Bros. followed suit, while U.K. Lawyers for Israel sent legal warnings to Netflix, BBC, Disney, and others, asserting the pledge violates the Equality Act by discriminating based on nationality, ethnicity, and religion. “This creates a dangerous precedent,” the letter warned, noting the boycott’s “selective application” spares non-Jewish institutions.
Israeli film leaders decried the move as an “existential threat” to their industry, which has produced Oscar winners like Son of Saul and collaborated with Hollywood on projects such as
Fauda. “Boycotting us silences voices calling for peace,” said one producer anonymously.
Pro-Israel celebrities like Michael Rapaport and Debra Messing fired back online, accusing boycotters of hypocrisy amid a recent U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. “Ceasefire now—where are Mark Ruffalo and Emma Stone?” Rapaport posted, highlighting their relative silence post-deal. Critics point out that while the stars demanded an immediate halt to fighting, Hamas’s refusal to release all hostages prolonged the conflict—a detail often omitted in their rhetoric.
This boycott wave mirrors the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which has gained traction post-October 7, 2023. Hollywood, once a pro-Israel bastion, is now a battleground: dueling open letters pit pro-Palestine artists against a counter-petition from over 1,200 figures denouncing the boycott as antisemitic.
For Stone and Ruffalo, the stakes are high. Stone’s upcoming Bugonia with Yorgos Lanthimos—ironically, a collaborator on the boycotted Poor Things—could face scrutiny. Ruffalo, whose MCU tenure ends soon, risks alienating Marvel’s global fanbase.
Yet advocates see momentum. “Hollywood is waking up,” tweeted one user, listing Stone alongside Dua Lipa and Lorde. As Gaza’s death toll mounts—over 40,000 per Palestinian health authorities—the cultural frontlines grow hotter.
Amid the fury, some urge nuance. “Art should bridge divides, not build walls,” opined Forward columnist Batya Ungar-Sargon. With a fragile ceasefire holding and hostages freed, will Stone and Ruffalo pivot to pressuring Hamas? Or does their stance harden?
One thing’s clear: Hollywood’s golden era of political neutrality is over. As Stone and Ruffalo’s signatures ripple through awards season, the industry braces for boycotts of its own—proving that in Tinseltown, the real blockbusters are now ideological.
