Just weeks after nearly 4,000 members of the global entertainment industry signed a petition pledging to boycott Israeli film institutions over the war in Gaza, a new open letter was published Thursday with about 1,200 industry professionals so far declaring their opposition to the cultural boycott.
The initiative is organized by the pro-Israel groups Creative Community for Peace and The Brigade. It stresses that most of those working in Israel's film and television industries lean left politically and oppose government policies. As an example, it highlights the Ophir Award-winning film The Vanishing Soldier, which is set to represent Israel at the upcoming Academy Awards and tells the story of a Palestinian boy risking his life to reach the beach in Tel Aviv.
Among the signatories are Liev Schreiber, Debra Messing, Mayim Bialik, Michael Rapaport, Jerry O'Connell (Sliders), Mare Winningham (Georgia), Anthony Edwards (ER), Edelstein (House), Rebecca De Mornay (The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Jessica Jones), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight, Fargo), Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond), Fred Savage (The Wonder Years), Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville), Mark Feuerstein (Royal Pains), and Howie Mandel.
They are joined by television personality Sharon Osbourne, widow of the late rock star Ozzy Osbourne; KISS bassist Gene Simmons, who was born in Israel; musicians Matisyahu and Regina Spektor; producer Jack Bender; and prominent Israelis including media mogul Haim Saban, actor Mike Burstyn, activist Noa Tishby, and actor Yehuda Levi.
