Rabbinic Group Criticizes Jewish Entertainers Supporting Mark Ruffalo

<p>A rabbinic group has criticized some Jewish entertainers for allegedly "whitewashing antisemitism" by supporting actor Mark Ruffalo following his opposition to the proposed Warner Bros. Discovery-Paramount merger.</p><p>More than 170 Jewish entertainers and artists signed a letter on September 4, 2026, expressing support for Ruffalo after he faced accusations of antisemitism for his comments regarding the $111 billion merger.</p><p>The Coalition for Jewish Values, representing over 2,500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in American public policy, stated that it typically refrains from responding to Hollywood figures who make statements it finds hateful towards Jews or Israel. However, the group believes Ruffalo's comments prompted Jewish Hollywood figures with limited knowledge of Jewish history or antisemitism to "deny obvious bigotry."</p><p>In an Instagram post on August 22, Ruffalo linked the merger to Oracle's involvement with Israel, claiming that the Ellison family, who are Jewish, were "powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world," and characterized the corporate transaction as based on "genocide" and "apartheid." The Coalition for Jewish Values argued that this is not a critique of policy but rather a misrepresentation of civil rights for Jews and Arabs.</p><p>The group expressed that while the entertainers are entitled to their opinions, they should not be taken seriously when they engage in what the group calls whitewashing antisemitism. They emphasized that America has historically rejected hatred of Jews, regardless of its presentation.</p><p>Rabbi Yaakov Menken, executive vice president of the Coalition for Jewish Values, described Ruffalo's remarks as "embarrassing" and accused him of presenting a "mythical inversion" of the Middle Eastern situation.</p><p>Ruffalo was previously accused of invoking "antisemitic tropes" by Paramount after he shared a video of Oracle executive Safra Catz discussing technology used to assist Israel following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack. He suggested that the merger would facilitate oppression.</p><p>Among the Jewish artists who signed the letter were Abbi Jacobson, Alex Winter, Gina Gershon, Ilana Glazer, and Tony Kushner, who argued that the executives criticized by Ruffalo have linked their support for actions against Palestinians. They also noted that a significant portion of American Jews believe Israel has committed war crimes against Gaza.</p><p>Ruffalo has denied the antisemitism accusations, stating that criticizing the actions of the Israeli government or military contracts is not equivalent to criticizing Jewish people.</p><p>The proposed merger would place CNN, HBO, and Warner Bros. studio assets under the control of the Ellison family. A coalition of 12 state attorneys general has sued to block the merger on antitrust grounds, and the companies have agreed not to close the deal until five days after a court ruling on the merits or by June 1, 2027, whichever comes first.</p>