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.

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,

1. Lenny Abrahamson
2. Ra’anan Alexandrowicz
3. Erin Allweiss
4. Mark Asch
5. Liran Atzmor
6. Erin Axelman
7. Annie Baker
8. Todd Banhazl
9. Ariela Barer
10. Morgan Bassichis
11. Joshuah Bearman
12. Abner Benaim
13. Amy Berg
14. Kate Berlant
15. Gregg Bordowitz
16. Agnes Borinsky
17. Janicza Bravo
18. Margaret Brown
19. Dan Bucatinsky
20. Simone Bitton
21. Daniel Chalfen
22. Joel Coen
23. Dan Cogan
24. Dominic Cooke
25. Molly Crabapple
26. David Cross
27. Cyrus Dunham
28. David Ehrlich*
29. Deborah Eisenberg
30. Isaac Feldberg
31. Chloe Fineman
32. Jordan Firstman
33. Frances Fisher
34. Sarah Sophie Flicker
35. Esther Freud
36. Bella Freud
37. Uri Fruchtmann
38. Noah Galvin
39. Sarah Gavron
40. Tavi Gevinson
41. Ilana Glazer
42. Natalie Gold
43. Sam Gold
44. Jimmy Goldblum
45. Daniel Goldhaber
46. Nan Goldin
47. Josh Gondelman
48. Josh Gordon
49. Elliott Gould
50. Miles Greenberg
51. Doron Max Hagay
52. Gordon Hall
53. Todd Haynes
54. Fred Hechinger
55. Lee Hirsch
56. Eliza Hittman
57. Nicole Holofcener
58. Ilan Isakov
59. Abbi Jacobson
60. Kristi Jacobson
61. Rachel Leah Jones
62. Miranda July
63. David Katznelson
64. Deborah Kaufman
65. Ella Kemp
66. Sara Kiener
67. Lola Kirke
68. Dan Kitrosser
69. Alison Klayman
70. Naomi Klein
71. Pamela Koffler
72. Jess Kohl
73. Maris Kreizman
74. Lisa Kron
75. Justin Kuritzkes
76. Rachel Kushner
77. Serge Lalou
78. Nadav Lapid
79. Julliette Larthe
80. Michael Lieberman
81. Alison Leiby
82. Mike Leigh
83. Cindi Leive
84. Jonathan Lethem
85. Mica Levi
86. Avi Lewis
87. Kyle Lukoff
88. Darius Marder
89. Miriam Margolyes
90. Sam Marks
91. Daniel Maté
92. Gabor Maté
93. Jane Mayle
94. Jonathan Meth
95. Lise Mayer
96. Collier Meyerson
97. Avi Mograbi
98. Sophie Monks Kaufman
99. Mik Moore
100. Michael Morris
101. Hari Nef
102. Chani Nicholas
103. David Osit
104. Nira Park
105. Zeena Parkins
106. Joaquin Phoenix
107. Rain Phoenix
108. Max Posner
109. Jeff Preiss
110. Sarah Ramos
111. Allon Reich
112. Leo Reich
113. Boots Riley
114. Howard A. Rodman
115. Jon Ronson
116. Jacqueline Rose
117. Martin Rosenbaum
118. Jason Rosenberg
119. Tessa Ross
120. Ira Sachs
121. Tilly Scantlebury
122. James Schamus
123. Jane Schoenbrun
124. Sarah Schulman
125. Emma Seligman
126. Wallace Shawn
127. Mel Shimkowitz
128. Noam Shuster Eliassi
129. Amy Sillman
130. Nathan Silver
131. Michael Skolnik
132. Gillian Slovo
133. Robyn Slovo
134. Shawn Slovo
135. Sarah Adina Smith
136. Alan Snitow
137. Morgan Spector
138. Tom Stoppard
139. Kae Tempest
140. Lynne Tillman
141. Rachel Traub
142. V (formerly Eve Ensler)
143. Alicia Van Couvering
144. Adam Weber
145. Madeline Weinstein
146. Debra Winger
147. Matt Wolf
148. Jeremy Yaches
149. Gary Yershon
150. Jeremiah Zagar
151. Alexander Zeldin