More than 1,800 actors, entertainers, and producers — including several Hollywood stars — have signed a pledge refusing to collaborate with Israeli film institutions, which they accuse of being complicit in Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians. The pledge, announced on Sept. 8, states that signatories will not screen films, participate in festivals, or work with Israeli broadcasters, cinemas, or production companies tied to what they describe as “genocide and apartheid” against Palestinians. The group stressed, however, that the boycott targets institutions, not individual Israelis.

Citing last year’s International Court of Justice opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, as well as rights experts who argue Israel’s Gaza campaign constitutes genocide, the statement accused Israeli film bodies of “whitewashing” abuses. The signatories include Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Tilda Swinton, Riz Ahmed, Javier Bardem, and Cynthia Nixon.

Israel has long dismissed boycotts of its institutions as discriminatory, maintaining that its military campaign in Gaza is an act of self-defence following the October 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in over 250 hostages. Since then, Israel’s offensive has killed tens of thousands, displaced Gaza’s entire population, and created widespread famine. Meanwhile, at the Venice Film Festival, The Voice of Hind Rajab — a film about a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza — received a standing ovation, with Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix among its executive producers.