# ‘Looking away was never a choice for me’: How Hollywood’s love affair with Israel turned sour

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/looking-away-was-never-a-choice-for-me-how-hollywoods-love-affair-with-israel-turned-sour/
- Published: 2026-11-15T09:41:40+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-15T10:20:26+00:00
- Original publisher: Middle East Eye (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/looking-away-never-a-choice-for-me-hollywoods-love-affair-israel-turned-sour
- Topics: Americas, Celebrity, Entertainment, Film, Middle East, World

## Key points

- More than 5,500 film industry figures signed a Palestine-related pledge.
- Signatories refuse to work with certain Israeli film institutions.
- Juliet Stevenson says fear should not stop artists speaking out.

## Summary

Actors and filmmakers are increasingly challenging Hollywood’s ties to Israeli film institutions, as more artists speak publicly about Palestinians and Gaza. The article describes a shift in the industry, where collective pledges and public statements are making it easier for people to take a stance despite fears about career consequences.

Film Workers for Palestine’s 2025 pledge has attracted more than 5,500 signatures, including those of Josh O’Connor, Olivia Colman, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Signatories promise not to work with or screen films through Israeli institutions implicated in genocide and apartheid; British actor Juliet Stevenson says speaking up felt unavoidable. Paramount criticised the pledge as a boycott of Israeli filmmakers, while denying reports that it has blacklisted talent over Palestine-related views.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.