Entertainment

More than 150 Jewish creatives back Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars speech criticizing Israeli occupation

Jonathan Glazer's Oscar speech had linked the Holocaust to the Palestinian genocide.

Pop Culture & Art April 07, 2024

Photo: Getty Images

More than 150 Jewish actors, filmmakers, and creatives have signed an open letter supporting Jonathan Glazer's controversial Oscars speech, where he condemned the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Signatories include Joaquin Phoenix, Debra Winger, Todd Haynes, Joel Coen, and many more.

Glazer's speech, made after winning Best International Feature for his Holocaust film "The Zone of Interest", ignited fierce debate. In his statement, Glazer said, "Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst. It’s shaped all of our past and present. Right now, we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people... how do we resist?”

The speech drew criticism from Zionist supporters, with some accusing him of fueling antisemitism. This new open letter defends Glazer's right to speak out.

“We are Jewish artists, filmmakers, writers and creative professionals who support Jonathan Glazer’s statement from the 2024 Oscars. We were alarmed to see some of our colleagues in the industry mischaracterize and denounce his remarks,” the open letter reads. “...Glazer, Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg and countless other artists of all backgrounds have decried the killing of Palestinian civilians. We should all be able to do the same without being wrongly accused of fueling antisemitism.”

The letter concludes, “We honor the Holocaust by saying: Never again for anyone.”

Israel's onslaught on Gaza has killed over 33,000 Palestinians since October last year, including more than 13,000 children. Many people including UN experts have likened Israel's actions to a genocide whereas others falsely invoke anti-semitism as a way to defend Israel's massacre of Palestinian civilians.

Read the full open letter and see the list of signees below as obtained by Variety.

We are Jewish artists, filmmakers, writers, and creative professionals who support Jonathan Glazer’s statement from the 2024 Oscars. We were alarmed to see some of our colleagues in the industry mischaracterize and denounce his remarks. Their attacks on Glazer are a dangerous distraction from Israel’s escalating military campaign which has already killed over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza and brought hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation. We grieve for all those who have been killed in Palestine and Israel over too many decades, including the 1,200 Israelis killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the 253 hostages taken.

The attacks on Glazer also have a silencing effect on our industry, contributing to a broader climate of suppression of free speech and dissent, the very qualities our field should cherish. Glazer, Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg and countless other artists of all backgrounds have decried the killing of Palestinian civilians. We should all be able to do the same without being wrongly accused of fueling antisemitism.

In his speech, Glazer asked how we can resist the dehumanization that has led to mass atrocities throughout history. For such a statement to be taken as an affront only underscores its urgency. We should be able to name Israel’s apartheid and occupation — both recognized by leading human rights organizations as such — without being accused of rewriting history.

As the Director of the Auschwitz Memorial, Dr. Piotr M. A. Cywiński, wrote, “’The Zone of Interest’ is not a film about the Shoah. It is primarily a profound warning about humanity and its nature.” We must not reserve this warning for a single group. To preserve our humanity and ensure our mutual survival, we must sound the alarm when any group faces such brutality and acts of erasure.

We are proud Jews who denounce the weaponization of Jewish identity and the memory of the Holocaust to justify what many experts in international law, including leading Holocaust scholars, have identified as a “genocide in the making.” We reject the false choice between Jewish safety and Palestinian freedom. We stand with all those calling for a permanent ceasefire, including the safe return of all hostages and the immediate delivery of aid into Gaza, and an end to Israel’s ongoing bombardment of and siege on Gaza.

We honor the memory of the Holocaust by saying: Never again for anyone.

Signed,