More than 170 Jewish individuals from the entertainment industry, such as Hannah Einbinder, Joel Coen, and Canadian filmmaker Emma Seligman, have signed a public letter supporting American actor Mark Ruffalo against what they perceive as an unfounded attack. The letter, released on Tuesday, emphasizes the need to halt the ongoing criticism faced by Ruffalo, citing it as a false and harmful weaponization of antisemitism accusations. Ruffalo had drawn parallels between Paramount Skydance’s potential merger with Warner Bros. Discovery and the conflict in Gaza, an action that led to the allegations.
Paramount Skydance, co-owned by CEO David Ellison and his father Larry Ellison, who also holds the position of co-founder and chief technology officer at Oracle, openly supports Israel. The company’s association with Israel, including providing technology to the Israeli military, has been acknowledged by a top executive. In response to the situation, Ruffalo’s representatives, as well as Paramount Skydance and Oracle, have been approached for comments by CBC News.
A previous statement from Paramount criticized Ruffalo for supposedly invoking antisemitic stereotypes in his opposition to the merger. Subsequently, more than 1,000 members of the entertainment industry condemned Ruffalo’s remarks for singling out Jewish executives using language reminiscent of age-old antisemitic conspiracy theories.
Ruffalo has not directly responded to the recent letter but has shared a video on Instagram expressing concerns about the proposed merger. In a prior statement, he vehemently denied the accusations of antisemitism, clarifying that his criticisms were directed towards specific actions and not the Jewish community as a whole.
The ongoing dispute between Ruffalo and Paramount has caused delays in the merger process, valued at $110 billion US, which has now been postponed until June 2027 due to legal challenges raised by several U.S. state attorneys general regarding antitrust issues.
Support for Ruffalo’s stance has come from various prominent figures such as author Naomi Klein, retired rabbi David Mivasair, physician Gabor Maté, actor Ilana Glazer, and filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun. The collective message conveyed in the letter is a solidarity with Ruffalo and a call to stand up for truth and integrity.
Ruffalo’s criticism of the merger highlighted concerns about Oracle’s involvement with the Israeli military, labeling the potential merger as a classic antitrust case that could have negative repercussions on employment, consumer pricing, and industry competition. Paramount’s response to the legal challenges, emphasizing the benefits of the merger in countering dominant streaming and tech platforms, has been met with skepticism by critics.
Oracle’s unwavering support for Israel, exemplified by donations to Israeli emergency services and public declarations of solidarity, underscores the company’s commitment to backing Israel despite potential business consequences. The conflict in Gaza, triggered by a Hamas-led attack, has resulted in significant casualties and heightened tensions in the region.