A prominent rabbinic group has accused Jewish entertainers of "whitewashing antisemitism" by defending actor Mark Ruffalo's strong opposition to the proposed Warner Bros. Discovery-Paramount merger. The Coalition for Jewish Values, representing over 2,500 Orthodox rabbis, stated that the more than 170 Jewish entertainers and artists who signed a letter in support of Ruffalo demonstrated "little knowledge of Jewish history or the nature of antisemitism."
Ruffalo faced accusations of antisemitism after an August 22 Instagram post where he linked the Paramount-Skydance/Warner Bros. merger to Oracle's business dealings with Israel. He claimed that the Ellison family, who are Jewish, were "powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world" and characterized the corporate transaction as being built on "genocide" and "apartheid."
The Coalition for Jewish Values released a statement asserting that Ruffalo's comments were not mere business criticism but a mischaracterization of civil rights for Jews and Arabs. The group contended that Ruffalo's framing of hostage rescue as murder and his use of language associating the merger with genocide and apartheid were "oldest of anti-Jewish tropes."
In response to the accusations, the Jewish entertainers who signed the letter stated that they were "proudly" supporting Ruffalo and denied his comments were antisemitic. They argued that executives involved in the merger had "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 signatories also asserted that a majority of American Jews believe Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza and that a significant portion consider Israel guilty of genocide, calling for an end to "spurious charges of antisemitism."
Ruffalo himself denied the antisemitism charge, stating that criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, military technology contracts, or the executives who supply them is not equivalent to criticizing Jewish people. He previously stated, "The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest."
The Coalition for Jewish Values noted that America has historically distinguished itself by declaring hatred of Jews unwelcome. The group also referenced the historical context of Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution in Europe to build new lives in America, with some of their descendants, such as those who created Marvel Comics and The Incredible Hulk, owing their careers to the opportunities in the United States. Rabbi Yaakov Menken, executive vice president of the Coalition for Jewish Values, described Ruffalo's remarks as "embarrassing" and characterized his perspective on the Middle East as a "mythical inversion."
The proposed merger, which would place CNN, HBO, and Warner Bros. studio assets under the control of the Ellison family, has also faced antitrust challenges. A coalition of 12 state attorneys general sued to block the deal, and the companies have agreed not to finalize it until five days after a court ruling on the merits or June 1, 2027, whichever comes first.