Selina Riachi | Staff Writer
Since October 7, millions have protested the genocide in Gaza, raising awareness about the inhumanity Palestinians have been experiencing. Among these activists are about 400 members of the Hollywood entertainment industry, who first showed their support for the Palestinian cause by signing a letter written to President Joe Biden by Artists4Ceasefire. This group was organized on October 20 to give the artistic community a voice to ask for “immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost.” Since then, they have continued to advocate for their cause – most recently during the 2024 Oscars.
While on the red carpet, celebrities confirmed their stance about the need for a ceasefire by wearing a red Artists4Ceasefire pin, which featured an outstretched hand with a heart on it. “The pin symbolizes collective support for an immediate and permanent cease-fire, the release of all of the hostages, and for the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza,” Artists4Ceasefire said in a press release. The group emphasized the need for compassion during these times.
Academy Awards Nominees such as Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell, Ava DuVernay, and Ramy Youssef were spotted wearing these pins on the red carpet. As one of the Oscars presenters, Youssef spoke out during the event, stating:
“We’re calling for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We’re calling for peace and lasting justice for the people of Palestine. It’s a universal message of, ‘Let’s stop killing kids. Let’s not be part of more war.’ We need to look at ourselves and be honest, if the leadership supposedly thinks that should happen, why has it not happened? That’s what we’re all encouraging everyone to be vocal about.”
Moreover, actor Mark Ruffalo, who has been especially vocal about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, wore the pin. “This horrific violence must end. I have no answers obviously, but I feel it is absolutely necessary to focus on our shared human existence and reality. The sanctity of our common humanity will hopefully serve to heal the unimaginable wounds of division,” he posted on October 9. The pins were also spotted during the Grammys and the Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards earlier this year. During that event, Ruffalo was seen wearing the pin when he commented “We’ve come to understand this bombing isn’t working, we’re not going to bomb our way to peace, and all we’re saying is, what’s wrong with giving a ceasefire a chance?”
Most prominently, “The Zone of Interest” director Jonathan Glazer spoke out about the conflict in his speech at the Oscars. After the filmmaker’s Auschwitz-set Holocaust drama was announced as the best international film, he took the stage and thanked everyone involved. He proceeded to draw a parallel between the “Zone of Interest” and the conflict in Gaza. What he meant is still under debate because of the applause and his mumbling. However, according to the Academy’s official transcript of the speech, he stated:
“All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present, not to say look what they did then, but rather look what we do now. 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. Whether the victims of October — whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?”
Since then, Glazer hasn’t commented on his story, but the reactions to his speech highlight the growing divide in Hollywood concerning Gaza. During his speech, celebrities had mixed reactions, with some, like Ruffalo, enthusiastically applauding in the front row, and others sitting motionless.
Despite the criticism Glazer received from many, including the ADL, he has also received praise from fellow directors and Jewish activists. “He used his power and position and the biggest global stage to speak up for people with no power, no voice, or those too afraid to speak up, in an industry which is very conservative and risk-averse and which has a long history of blacklisting people. He stood up and told the truth,” said Asif Kapadia, winner of the 2015 Best Feature Documentary Oscar for “Amy”. Stephanie Fox, executive director of the leftist group “Jewish Voice for Peace”, also stated “He wants to apply the lessons of the Holocaust to the horrors that ‘confront us in the present,’ while his detractors want nothing more than to avert and distract our attention from the Israeli government’s genocide of Palestinians. Glazer speaks for the massive and growing number of Jews who honor our histories by joining our Palestinian siblings in their struggle for freedom and justice.”
According to Simone Zimmerman, founder of the “If Not Now” movement, people who are condemning the speech “are the very same people who are aggressively invested in denying the atrocities that are currently being committed in Gaza by those who do, in fact, invoke the memory of the Holocaust to justify their crimes.” At the end of the day, Glazer seized the opportunity to speak out in the name of justice and human rights where he couldn’t be silenced. One can only admire his speech in the midst of the growing ignorance towards the inhumanity in Gaza.
Sources:
https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/palestine-israel/2024/03/11/oscars-2024-celebrities-gaza -palestine-ceasefire/
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-news/ceasefire-pin-celebrities-oscars-2024 -explained-1235847907/
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240311-oscars-2024-artists-wear-protest-pins-ceasefire-eq uity-trans-children
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/11/hollywood-stars-wear-red-pin-badges-at-the-oscars what-does-it-mean
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jonathan-glazer-oscars-speech-condem ned-holocaust-survivors-foundation-1235850275/
https://variety.com/2024/film/awards/zone-of-interest-director-jonathan-glazer-oscar-speech-isra el-hamas-war-gaza-controversy-1235940637/
https://top50women.com/hollywood-stars-wear-artists4ceasefire-pins-at-the-2024-oscars