More Than 170 Jewish Figures Back Mark Ruffalo Amid Antisemitism Dispute

More than 170 Jewish figures from the entertainment industry and other fields have signed a letter defending actor Mark Ruffalo against what they describe as a “smear campaign” and the “weaponization” of antisemitism accusations.

The letter, published Tuesday, says Ruffalo has faced “spurious charges of antisemitism” after criticizing the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. merger and the Ellison family’s business ties to Israel.

Among the signatories are filmmakers Joel Coen, Todd Haynes and Jane Schoenbrun, actors Ilana Glazer, Hannah Einbinder and Wallace Shawn, and writers Tony Kushner and James Schamus.

The controversy began on Aug. 21, when Ruffalo criticized the merger on social media, warning about its potential impact on Hollywood. He also accused the Ellison family of being complicit in what he called the “genocide” of Palestinians and pointed to Oracle’s connections with the Israeli military.

A Paramount spokesperson subsequently accused Ruffalo of using “antisemitic tropes” in connection with a business dispute. The Simon Wiesenthal Center and Creative Community for Peace also condemned his comments.

Ruffalo rejected the accusation, saying that criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, military technology contracts or executives involved in supplying such technology is not the same as criticism of Jewish people.

Several Jewish artists have defended Ruffalo. Einbinder, who has publicly supported Palestinian rights, said he was right to draw attention to connections between the Ellisons’ business interests and Israel. Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan also recently called the antisemitism accusation against Ruffalo “preposterous.”

The new letter argues that highlighting links between the war in Gaza and developments in Hollywood is not antisemitic. Instead, its signatories say, addressing those connections reflects what they view as a Jewish ethical responsibility.

Glazer, another signatory, said accusing Ruffalo of antisemitism for questioning a major corporate merger was “absurd” and could be used to silence legitimate criticism of media consolidation and corporate power.