Hollywood stars call for protection of pro-Palestinian voices from 'McCarthyist repression'

More than 700 members of a major Hollywood union have demanded their association take a stand to protect pro-Palestinian voices from being blacklisted in the industry.

In an open letter released on Wednesday, actors and entertainment professionals called on the leadership of the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) to issue a public statement condemning Israel’s ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip as well as the industry's "McCarthyist repression of members who acknowledge Palestinian suffering".

“We... demand [our leadership]… to speak out against the targeting and killing of innocent Palestinian civilians, health workers, and our journalist colleagues... and to eliminate any doubt of our solidarity with workers, artists, and oppressed people worldwide,” read the statement, whose signatories include Mark Ruffalo, Cynthia Nixon, Common, Susan Sarandon, Riz Ahmed and Rosie O’Donnell.

The letter adds that SAG-AFTRA shared a statement condemning the 7 October Hamas-led attacks on Israel, but has "remained silent" despite Israel's "clear violations of human rights and Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land and lives".

Several Hollywood celebrities have come under pressure or been dropped by studios and agencies for criticising Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip.

Last November, Mexican actor Melissa Barrera was fired from the Scream franchise for her social media posts criticising Israel's bombardment of Gaza, which the production company, Spyglass Media Group, said were “antisemitic”.

She had posted regularly about the war on her account, including resharing a post accusing Israel of “genocide and ethnic cleansing”.

The same day, Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon was dropped by her talent agency after she spoke at a pro-Palestine rally where she said people were “stepping away from brainwashing” about the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Members of the entertainment industry have said that they were being "penalised" for speaking in support of Palestinians.

'Not in my union's name'

Union members said they made several attempts to engage with the union leadership on crafting a statement together, but those efforts were ignored, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Gabriel Kornbluh, a SAG-AFTRA board member and strike captain, criticised the union leadership, saying its inaction undermines the solidarity built during last year’s months-long strike.

“I’m losing faith in President [Fran] Drescher’s ability to lead our union down an equitable path," he said.

“As a Jewish member, I say ‘not in my name’ to Israel’s war crimes and ‘not in my union’s name.’”

Middle East Eye reached out to Drescher and SAG-AFTRA for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.