Israel-Hamas War: How Hollywood is divided over 'antisemitism' amid the ongoing conflict

In the wake of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, while concerns regarding a humanitarian crisis have escalated, the war has also divided global public opinion. Amid all of this, Hollywood is also not left untouched, as reactions have been coming in from different corners of the industry.

Given the history of Hollywood, where many Jewish immigrants became pioneers in the burgeoning film industry, they have clearly risen to prominence in various roles within the film entertainment and media business. However, while Hollywood is known for championing liberal ideologies where celebrities have used the platform to endorse various causes, the silence this time remains quite surprising.

Hollywood divided over the Israel-Hamas war

From the Writers Guild of America refusing to condemn the attacks on Israel to the pro-Palestinian group WGA supporting the union’s stance, the Israel-Palestine conflict has ignited passionate debate in Hollywood. The difference in opinion further escalated after notable agent Maha Dakhil at the Creative Artists Agency characterised the Israeli air strikes on Gaza as “genocide.” Known for representing several high-profile stars, including Tom Cruise, Natalie Portman, and Reese Witherspoon, Dakhil wrote in a storming Instagram post, “What’s more heartbreaking than witnessing genocide? Witnessing the denial that genocide is happening.”

This immediately played against her, as she was immediately relieved of her duties as the co-chief of the motion picture department.

Following the sequence of events, one of her most important clients, Tom Cruise, made it very clear that he was backing her as he met Dakhil at her CAA office on November 15, seemingly in a bid to show his support. Apart from that, as the matter escalated, many others started to walk over the agency’s treatment of her, stating that she was “railroaded by the management.” While Dakhil issued an apology, the incident also led to the loss of another major client as screenwriter and playwright Aaron Sorkin switched to a rival agency.

On the other hand, if reports have to be believed, Melissa Barrera has also been dropped as the star of the next ‘Scream‘ film due to her social media posts relating to the Israel-Hamas war. Referring to Israel as a “colonised land”, she wrote, “Western media only shows the [Israeli] side. Why do they do that, I will let you deduce for yourself.”

According to a Variety report, Spyglass made its stance very clear, stating that the actress’s post was seen as antisemitic, further adding, “We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech.”

While the reactions don’t just end here, several agents at the UTA have also expressed outrage over a recent open letter by writer Ta-Nehisi Coates. CAA has also been willing to cut ties with the problematic social media missives.

While the division within the entertainment industry has not yet led to any kind of violence, there is a growing concern among Jewish individuals, especially after the conflict has fueled a wide spectrum of opinions within the liberal bastion of Hollywood.