Paramount Pictures on Thursday publicly rejected a growing pledge by film workers that vows not to work with Israeli film institutions, saying the studio opposed efforts that would silence artists based on nationality.
In a statement, Paramount chief communications officer Melissa Zukerman said the company “believes in the power of storytelling to connect and inspire people, promote mutual understanding, and preserve the moments, ideas, and events that shape the world we share. This is our creative mission.” The statement continued: “We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers. Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace.”
The pledge, organized by a group calling itself Film Workers for Palestine, was published Monday and initially included roughly 1,200 signatures. Organizers said the pledge was inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid and declared participants would refuse to screen films at, appear at, or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions they said are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” By Wednesday, the list had grown to about 3,900 names, organizers said.
The document cites examples of alleged complicity that include “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.” High-profile signatories reported by organizers include actors Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo, Olivia Colman, Andrew Garfield, Bowen Yang and Elliot Page.
Paramount became the first major U.S. studio to publicly oppose the pledge, saying the global entertainment industry should “encourag[e] artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world.” The company argued that “we need more engagement and communication — not less.” Variety reported that no other major studio had issued a similar public statement as of Thursday.
Supporters of the pledge have framed it as a principled cultural boycott modeled on actions taken by artists and filmmakers against apartheid-era South Africa. Organizers and signatories have said the measures are intended to pressure institutions they say are complicit in human-rights abuses and to express solidarity with Palestinians. Critics of the boycott have argued against restricting cultural exchange and warned that such actions risk silencing individual artists.
The debate takes place amid heightened public and industry discussion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and it has drawn responses from both within and outside the entertainment community. Some public figures and artists have made statements characterizing the situation in Gaza in strong terms; others have urged engagement and dialogue across cultural platforms.
Paramount’s statement emphasized storytelling and cross-cultural engagement as central to the company’s mission. The studio said it disagreed with efforts to single out creatives on the basis of nationality and called for increased communication between artists and audiences worldwide. The pledge organizers said they plan to continue collecting signatures and publicizing institutions they consider implicated as the boycott effort proceeds.
The standoff marks a widening schism in parts of the film community over how to respond to international human-rights concerns and the appropriate role of cultural boycotts. Industry leaders, artists and institutions are likely to face continuing pressure to define their positions as the pledge gains visibility and as studios and festivals consider whether to adopt formal policies in response.