Israeli legal advocacy group warns of ‘litigation risk’ from film workers in favor of Palestine boycott
A London-based pro-Israel nonprofit has sent a letter to the British outposts of Netflix, Disney, the BBC, Amazon and other major film and TV studios, warning that the Film Workers for Palestine boycott, backed by more than 5,000 Hollywood stars, could lead to discrimination charges under the law British.
Britain’s Lawyers for Israel say the boycott, whose signatories include Ava DuVernay, Adam McKay, Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo, could trigger a chain reaction across production funding and insurance because it violates the Equality Act. Passed in 2010, this broad anti-discrimination law protects individuals and organizations from unfair treatment based on race, religion, gender, disability and nationality.
The boycott, initiated late last month, includes Oscar, BAFTA, Emmy and Palme d’Or winners who signed a pledge saying they would refuse to work with Israeli institutions and companies “involved in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.”
“We pledge not to screen films, appear or work in any way with Israeli film institutions – including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies – that are involved in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people,” the group shared via Film Workers for Palestine.
The initial list contained 1,200 signatories and quickly grew to more than 5,000, including Joaquin Phoenix, Olivia Colman, Peter Sarsgaard, Gael García Bernal, Riz Ahmed, Cynthia Nixon, Tilda Swinton, Andrew Garfield and Javier Bardem.
“If the British television and film industry associates itself with acts contrary to the [the Equality Act]“It also sets a dangerous precedent: one that tolerates the exclusion of individuals and organizations based solely on their nationality, ethnicity or religion.”
American and British companies were among the recipients, including Netflix, Disney, Amazon Studios, Apple, Warner Bros. Discovery, the BBC, Film4 and the British Film Institute.
Citing protections afforded to institutions by the Equality Act, the letter suggests the boycott could expose studios to litigation, void insurance policies and illegally bar access to financing, with financial groups required to comply.
