Pro-Israeli Hollywood collective known as "The Brigade" has issued a strongly-worded response to Artists4Ceasefire's campaign urging Oscars attendees to wear red pins in support of Gazans. In their statement shared on Monday night, The Brigade – comprising approximately 700 producers, actors, agents, and filmmakers – criticized the timing of the Artists4Ceasefire initiative, which was sent to Hollywood celebrities on February 20, the same day Hamas returned the bodies of the Bibas children.
"In 2000, Palestinian terrorists in Ramallah lynched two innocent Israelis, ripped them apart limb by limb, and held up their blood-soaked hands to a cheering mob. That infamous image is now your 'ceasefire' badge. Is this ignorance? Or is this deliberate, calculated malice?" wrote The Brigade.
Artists4Ceasefire had previously explained their pin's meaning: "The red background symbolizes the urgent call to save lives, the orange hand represents the diverse community that has come together to support us, and the heart at the center of the hand is an invitation to lead with our hearts, in love." The Brigade described the red hand pin as "no symbol of peace" but rather "the emblem of Jewish bloodshed."
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"On February 20th, the same day the world learned 10-month-old Kfir Bibas and his 4-year-old brother Ariel were strangled to death by their terrorist captors in Gaza, you doubled down-urging celebrities to proudly wear your bloodstained red hand pin. Have you no shame?" the statement asked. The group drew connections between the hand symbol on the pin and the deaths of the Bibas children, stating they were "strangled to death by the terrorist's bare hands."
The pro-Palestinian group's name clearly supports a ceasefire so the statement specifically addressed what they described as Hamas' "grotesque, sadistic ceasefire tactics," citing instances where hostages were returned "on the brink of death, frail, bruised, and starved" and "executed after a ceasefire was reached."
At the previous Oscars ceremony, Artists4Ceasefire successfully convinced artists like Mark Ruffalo and Billie Eilish to wear the pin.
The message from The Brigade directly challenged Hollywood figures planning to wear the pins at the March 3 Oscars ceremony, asking if they would "proudly wear the emblem of a lynching."
The Brigade's statement concluded with a direct appeal to those in the entertainment industry: "To those who wore it without knowing – now you know. To those who knew and wore it anyway – we see you and we will not be silent."
The 96th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 3, with observers now watching closely to see how many attendees choose to wear the controversial red pins.
