To date, over 4,000 actors, directors, and other members of the film and TV industry have signed a pledge to boycott any Israeli film institutions that were considered “complicit” with the “genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” Now, Paramount has emerged as the first studio to speak out against the boycott.
Paramount chief communications officer Melissa Zukerman, in a statement published by Variety, said that “At Paramount, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect and inspire people, promote mutual understanding, and preserve the moments, ideas, and events that shape the world we share. This is our creative mission.”
The statement continues:
“We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers. Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace. The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world. We need more engagement and communication — not less.”
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Paramount’s decision to make this statement follows the studio completing its recent merger with David Ellison’s Skydance, which was only approved by the FCC after Paramount made certain concessions to the Trump administration regarding its news coverage. The White House has been largely supportive of Israel in recent months, though Trump did speak out against Israel’s recent military strike against Qatar.