Skip to main content
search
Monthly Archives

March 2025

CCFPeace
In Article

Why Are Companies Still Doing Business With Kanye West?

Read the original article here.
“Those who have … deals with Ye need to understand the message it sends and should not profit off his hate,” writes Creative Community for Peace founders

March 12, 2025

Like witnessing a bad car crash, Ye’s (formerly known as Kanye West) latest episodes of hate speech and misogyny have been painful to watch and continue to elicit shock and dismay from every corner of the entertainment world.

After an earlier disingenuous apology to the Jewish community for previous antisemitic comments and actions, Ye has now doubled down on intolerance via social media missives that include “I Love Hitler,” “I’m a Nazi,” and “I’m never apologizing for my Jewish comments.” But perhaps most disturbing was his Super Bowl commercial that linked to yeezy.com, where the sole item for purchase was a T-shirt emblazoned with a Nazi swastika.

Prior to these recent events, our organization, Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), along with other organizations countering and educating about antisemitism, had already laid out the real-life consequences of his previous antisemitic actions, with the ADL claiming that numerous incidents – including violent attacks – were tied to Kanye’s previous antisemitic rants.

Many companies didn’t hesitate to immediately sever ties with him. Talent agency CAA dropped him, while Adidas severed ties. Independent studio MRC shelved a West film/documentary project, publicly stating “We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform.” In the wake of Ye’s Super Bowl stunt, e-commerce platform Shopify deleted his online account.

We echo the words of entertainment industry leaders Ari Emanuel (CEO of Endeavor) and Jeremy Zimmer (CEO of United Talent Agency) who in 2022 both stated unambiguously that no one, and no companies, should be in business with Ye. But they went further than that, as Emanuel stated that “silence is dangerous” and that “West’s business partners across the fashion and entertainment industries also need to speak out and take action.”

Yet, Fox and Fox Television Stations (FTS) so far have remained silent beyond an internal memo that we feel did not go far enough.

Fox and FTS has not made a public apology for platforming Ye after a weeklong antisemitic tirade, regardless of where his website eventually linked to.

Fox and FTS have not publicly disavowed Ye’s actions and statements.

And Fox and FTS have not agreed to donate the money paid to them by Ye to counter and educate about antisemitism. (A rep for Fox and FTS did not reply to a request for comment.)

Sadly, Fox and FTS are not alone, as several companies continue to do business with Ye and/or profit from previous business relations with him.

No companies should be in business with him. Period.

While business contracts are complicated, those who have lingering or existing deals with Ye need to understand the message it sends and should not profit off his hate and instead need to think about how they can invest those monies to effect positive change.

The Super Bowl fiasco should be a cautionary tale to all companies — that doing business with Ye is bad business.

This has nothing to do with ‘cancel culture’; free speech is a fundamental right, but it does not come without consequences.

Ye is free to say whatever he wants, but businesses should not be platforming and thus endorsing his hatred — this includes companies, agents, distributors, artists, festivals, and producers who continue to work with him.

This is not about silencing someone because of their identity or political beliefs. This is about the moral decision by businesses to continue profiting off someone who is directly sowing and amplifying hatred. There is a stark contrast between defending artistic freedom and endorsing an individual who weaponizes their platform to spread bigotry.

As the leaders of the entertainment industry non-profit organization Creative Community for Peace, we believe in the power of using arts and culture to build bridges between disparate communities to encourage a more tolerant and brighter future.

CCFP now urges all corporations and entertainers who continue to do business with Ye to ask themselves these questions: Do you believe that music and culture can be a force for positive change? If so, can you in good conscience continue to profit from someone who is unapologetically fueled by hate?

The choice you make may save lives. It will most certainly make our world a more reasonable place to begin a few rational discussions.

David Renzer
Chairman / Co-Founder, Creative Community for Peace

Steve Schnur
Co-Founder, Creative Community for Peace

Ari Ingel
Executive Director, Creative Community for Peace

Photo Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images/The Recording Academy

CCFPeace
In Article

Oscar-Winning ‘No Other Land’ Undermined by ‘No Other Information’

Read the original article here.

The documentary contrasts the hardships that Basal Adra faces as a Palestinian with Yuval Abraham’s “freedom and security” as an Israeli, conveniently ignoring that Israelis have been subjected to relentless terror campaigns for decades.

By: Ari Ingel

“No Other Land” won the Oscar for Best Documentary. 

But does it present an accurate picture of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Not quite. 

“No Other Land” is a 2024 Palestinian documentary co-directed by a group of Israeli and Palestinian activists. 

The widely acclaimed film deals with the evictions of Palestinians from the area of Masafer Yatta in the West Bank, interweaving the stories of Palestinian activist Basal Adra and his friend Yuval Abraham, an Israeli journalist. 

Though Palestinians claim to have lived in Masafer Yatta “for centuries” – or even longer – the historical facts on the ground are much different.

Neither Ottoman nor British documents show any permanent Palestinian-Arab communities in Masafer Yatta. 

Likewise, aerial photos from the 1980s don’t show any permanent Palestinian structures. 

In fact, Masafer Yatta has been designated a military zone since 1981. 

As part of Area C of the West Bank, Israel has the right to exercise full military and civil control of Masafer Yatta, as agreed upon by the Israelis and Palestinians during the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. 

After a lengthy court case, in a unanimous decision from Israel’s Supreme Court, it found dating back to the 1980’s that there was neither evidence of any freestanding structures that would indicate a permanent Palestinian presence there, nor any “permanent dwellings” in the region. 

The court also noted that the Palestinian petitioners rejected any attempted compromise offered to them.

One rarely discussed issue is that just as the settler movement has been trying to create facts on the ground in Area C of the West Bank, the Palestinians too, with the help of Europeans, have been also trying to create facts on the ground by building illegally, for many decades now. 

“No Other Land” also completely decontextualizes the actions that Israel carries out in the West Bank. 

For example, it does not address the Israeli security concerns that led Israel to designate Masafer Yatta a military zone. 

Because Masafer Yatta is used for firing exercises, illegally built Palestinian structures – which, again, were built after the area was designated a military zone – pose a risk to the lives of civilians. 

“No Other Land” also presents the Palestinian residents of Masafer Yatta, and the West Bank in general, as victims of Israeli aggression. 

And while it’s true that many Palestinians have been victimized during the conflict, the film ignores the many, many times that Palestinians have carried out actions that have heightened tensions in the conflict: namely, Palestinian terrorism that informs virtually all Israeli policies in the West Bank. 

In fact, some of the most recent deadly attacks against Israelis have come from the nearby city of Yatta, including the Sarona Market massacre (2016), where two terrorists from Yatta walked into a busy Tel Aviv market and opened fire, murdering four civilians and wounding at least seven; the murder of Dafna Meir (2016) where a terrorist from Yatta stabbed Dafna Meir to death in front of her children outside her home in Otniel; the Yavneh stabbing attack (2018), where a terrorist from Yatta entered a supermarket, grabbed an Israeli civilian, and stabbed him repeatedly in the neck and chest, leaving him critically wounded, and the Gush Etzion stabbing (2018) where a terrorist from Yatta stabbed and killed Ari Fuld, a well-known Israeli activist.

The documentary contrasts the hardships that Basal Adra faces as a Palestinian with Yuval Abraham’s “freedom and security” as an Israeli, conveniently ignoring that Israelis have been subjected to relentless terror campaigns for decades. 

In 2024 alone, Israeli security forces – the same security forces that the documentary demonizes – thwarted over 1,000 terrorist attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including bombings, shootings, stabbings, car rammings, suicide bombings, attempted kidnappings, and more. 

While highlighting the plight of Palestinians in the West Bank is important, it’s equally important not to present a one-sided, inaccurate narrative of the situation, which not only demonizes Israelis by not explaining the reasoning behind Israel’s policies in the West Bank but also fosters divisions and undermines dialogue and peace efforts. 

Furthermore, from the stage, Israeli filmmaker Yuval Abraham stated: “Can’t you see that we are intertwined? That my people can be truly safe if Basel’s people are truly free and safe? There is another way. It’s not too late for life, for the living.”

In an ideal world, the above statement would hold true.

However, Palestinian leadership and so-called civil society organizations have repeatedly demonstrated that they have no real interest in lasting peace or a two-state solution.

Israel’s security measures were implemented in direct response to terrorism and the continued Palestinian struggle to establish a state of Palestine in the entirety of the land between the river and the sea, instead of agreeing to live in pace and accepting a state of Palestine in just part of the land, as the Jews themselves have done. 

If Hollywood wants to understand the true security issues Israel faces, perhaps they should watch the Palestinian documentary filmed on October 7, where Hamas and other Palestinian militants broadcast to the world hundreds of hours in which they documented themselves murdering entire families, kidnapping Holocaust survivors and infants, and committing unimaginable horrors, including rape.

The horrors of October 7, 2023 exposed the devastating consequences of Israeli security failures.

In this new reality, empty platitudes, not to mention empty films, no longer suffice.

 

CCFPeace
In Press Release

200+ Entertainment and Business Leaders Demand BBC Accountability

Notable entertainment and business leaders from around the globe including Ozzy Osbourne, Debra Messing, Mayim Bialik, Sharon Osbourne, Leo Pearlman, Danny Cohen, Professor Jonathan Shalit OBE, Raye Cosbert, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Neil Blair, Lyor Cohen, Brian Message amongst many others, call for the establishment of a full independent commission of inquiry into BBC

LONDON, March 6, 2025 — More than 200 leaders from the entertainment and business industries signed an open letter released by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) calling for a full investigation into the BBC’s bias against Israel.

The letter comes in response to the airing of the documentary, “Gaza: How to Survive in a Warzone.” The BBC acknowledged the serious journalistic failings in their presentation of the documentary. Not only did they platform Hamas propaganda, but they also used British tax dollars to pay the family of a Senior Hamas official.

Partner at The Blair Partnership Neil Blair said: “This is the latest in a long line of misreporting the Middle East and sugarcoating Hamas and it shatters public trust in the BBC. The BBC has its own rules to follow, as well as the law of the land, and its approach to both has been cavalier at best. Unfortunately, this is just the tip of the iceberg and there needs to be a thorough, independent and transparent investigation process so the BBC can get its house in order and restore public confidence in its output.”

Since October 7th, the British Jewish community has consistently criticized the BBC’s coverage of Israel.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism and provides security for Jewish communities in Britain, accused the BBC as being “institutionally hostile to Israel.” The recent airing of “Gaza: How to Survive in a Warzone” substantiates the ongoing critiques of the British Jewish community.

Co-CEO of Fulwell Entertainment Leo Pearlman said: “As antisemitism explodes across the globe, the spread of misinformation is not just irresponsible, it’s dangerous. When major trusted media outlets like the BBC amplify biased narratives and allow propaganda to be broadcast as truth, it fuels anti-Israel sentiment, emboldens extremists, and puts Jewish communities around the world at risk. Accurate, responsible journalism is not just an ethical obligation; it’s a matter of safety.”

The letter highlights the gravity of the moment for BBC, “This is a true crisis for the broadcaster, which it is treating as a minor inconvenience whilst its highest paid presenter is allowed to openly deny there is an issue at all.”

CCFP Executive Director Ari Ingel said, “At a time when accuracy and responsible reporting are more critical than ever, media outlets must uphold the highest standards, not serve as a megaphone for terrorist organizations. This is even more important when the media outlet is a public service broadcaster. So far, BBC’s public response does not reflect the seriousness of their mistakes. They not only failed to inform the public but misled them with Hamas-sanctioned propaganda.”

The statement is the first of its kind – a call from the entertainment and business community to unequivocally condemn the BBC’s response to this crisis. And to call for the establishment of a full independent commission of inquiry into the processes that allowed this documentary to air and to other instances of bias the past 16+ months.

The letter states: “It is time for the BBC to acknowledge that it has a systemic problem of bias against Israel of which this is the tip of the iceberg.”

The letter concludes: “This episode makes mockery of the Reithian Principle – to inform, educate and entertain—widely understood and recognized as a distillation of the BBC’s mission and as such is embedded in the BBC Royal Charter. The board and senior management should be considering their positions.”

Signatories Include:

Ozzy Osbourne, Artist and Author; Sharon Osbourne, Author, Manager, TV Personality; Danny Cohen, President, Access Entertainment; Mayim Bialik, Actress & Author; Debra Messing, Actress; Neil Blair, Partner, The Blair Partnership; Leo Pearlman, Co-CEO, Fulwell Entertainment; Rick Rosen, Co-Founder, Endeavor; Professor Jonathan Shalit OBE, Chairman, InterTalent/Project 30 Studios/Chosen Music; Colin Lester OBE, Founder/Chairman JEM Music; Raye Cosbert, Managing Director, Metropolis Music; Fernando Szew, President and Head of FOX Entertainment Studios; David Renzer, Former Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Publishing; Alistair Goldsmith, President, Chosen Music Ben Silverman; Chairman & Co-CEO, Propagate Content; Tracy-Ann Oberman, Actress; Noreena Hertz, Writer; Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music, Google/Youtube; Brian Message, Director, All Things Considered Management; Jonathan Strauss, CEO, Create Music Group; Modi Wiczyk, Co-Founder, MRC; Doug Davis, Founder, The Davis Firm; David Draiman, Frontman of the band Disturbed; Lee Trink, CEO, Game Theory Ventures; Rebecca De Mornay, Actress

If you would like to add your name, you can do so here: [Link]

FULL OPEN LETTER

We, the undersigned are calling for a full commission of inquiry into the recent actions taken by the BBC. The BBC has now acknowledged the very serious journalistic failings in their presentation of the documentary, “Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone,” and the damage it has caused to the BBC’s reputation.

It is time for the BBC to acknowledge that it has a systemic problem of bias against Israel of which this is the tip of the iceberg. This is a true crisis for the broadcaster, which it is treating as a minor inconvenience whilst its highest paid presenter is allowed to openly deny there is an issue at all.

This episode makes mockery of the Reithian Principle – to inform, educate and entertain—widely understood and recognized as a distillation of the BBC’s mission and as such is embedded in the BBC Royal Charter. The board and senior management should be considering their positions.

The unwillingness of the BBC to address these problems transparently over the last 16+ months is what has led to the debacle.

Not only did the BBC platform a Hamas propaganda documentary — that featured the family of a Hamas leader and inaccurate translations — but it is has now admitted to actually using British taxpayer money to pay the family of a senior Hamas official.

The BBC must allow for a full independent commission of inquiry to investigate the processes that led to this documentary being produced, and the pervasive anti-Israel bias that has been allowed to pervade through the BBC system unobstructed.

SIGNATORIES:

Ari Ingel, Executive Director, Creative Community for Peace

Tiran Aakel, Actor

Marty Adelstein, CEO, Tomorrow Studio

Annabel Anisfeld, Writer/Producer, Metalwork Pictures, Olami Productions, Cygnet Gin

Rene Anisfeld, Voluntary Worker

Ricki Askin, Music Executive

Andrea Ballas, Publicity, Paramount

Craig Balsam, CEO, RT Industries

Will Barton, Actor

Richard Baskind, Lawyer, SMB

Bellamy Bellucci, Speaker, Ballet Coach, Model, Advocate and Activist

Abraham Bengio, Agent, WME

Adam Berkowitz, Founder and President, Lenore Entertainment Group

Luc Bernard, Director, Voices of the Forgotten

Mayim Bialik, Actor, Director, Sad Clown Productions

Annelise Bianchini, Actor

Josh Binder, Partner, Rothenberg Mohr & Binder, LLP

Andrea Black, Actress/Singer/Songwriter/Author, AKR Records

Neil Blair, Partner, The Blair Partnership

Ben Bodie, Music Publishing, NWS Music Group

Dan Brunn, Founder, Dan Brunn Architecture

Roni Brunn, CEO, Form and Pattern

Adam Cailler, Chairman of Reach PLC’s Jewish Network and Daily Star Senior Reporter, Reach PLC

Emily Cameron, Manager, ATC Management

Danny Cohen, President, Access Entertainment

Kate Cohen, Producer, Straight Up Films/MK Entertainment

Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music, Google/YouTube

Jonathan Conway, Literary Agent, Jonathan Conway Literary Agency

Leanne Coronel, President, The Coronel Group

Raye Cosbert, Managing Director, Metropolis Music

Ben Cosgrove, CEO, Leviathan Productions

Eddy Cottridge, Actor

Doug Davis, Founder, The Davis Firm

Mirelle Davis, Artist Manager, Wind Up Bird Ltd

Shula Daws, Development Producer, Plum Pictures

Will Daws, Managing Director, Plum Pictures

Rebecca De Mornay, Actor

Avi Diamond, Director, Film & TV Licensing, Warner Music Canada

Laura Dodsworth, Writer

Craig Dorfman, Owner/Manager, Frontline Management

Brian Drach, Music Lawyer, Lewis Brisbois

David Draiman, Frontman of the band Disturbed

Jeremy Drysdale, Screenwriter, big:bam:boo:film:tv

Rabbi Pini Dunner, Rabbi, Beverly Hills Synagogue

Linda Edell Howard, Attorney, Edell Howard Enterprises

Ellis Elias, Chairman, Broadley Studios Ltd.

Craig Emanuel, LFG Productions

Eric Feig, Entertainment Attorney, Feig/Finkel LLP

Jacob Fenton, Partner, United Talent Agency

Ken Fermaglich, Partner, United Talent Agency

Larry Finlay, Retired Publisher, Transworld/Penguin Random House

Bradley Fischer, Producer, Wise Owl Media

David Fishof, Producer and Music Executive

Andrew Fox, Researcher and Writer, Henry Jackson Society

Jordan Frazes, Founder FRAZES CREATIVE

Adam Friedman, Executive + Investor, CAA + Connect Ventures

Adina Friedman, Manager, Artist House

Siri Garber, CEO & Founder, Platform Public Relations

Clive Gehle, Actor/Writer

Brett Gelman, Actor/Writer, Jaddy Inc.

Andrew Genger, Manager, Red Light Management

Maya Giladi, Business and Legal Affairs, Netflix

Gary Ginsberg, Partner, 25madison

Dan Glatman, Senior Relationship Director, Digital Futures

David Glick, Founder & CEO, Edge Group

Diana Golan, Make Up Artist

Elissa Gold, Creative Event Producer and Cultural Programmer, Admin & Event Solutions Limited

Saul Goldberg, Agent, CAA

Alistair Goldsmith, President, Chosen Music

Warren Goldstein, Chief Rabbi of South Africa, UOS

Michael Goldwasser, President/Co-Founder, Easy Star Records

Julian Goodkind, CEO, Pure Sync

Elizabeth Goodstein, VP, Business Development + Strategy, Madison Wells Media

Andrew Gould, President, Music Publishing, Roc Nation

Malcolm Green, Director and Writer, Vigilante

Scott Greenberg, Manager and Partner, LBI Entertainment

Brett Gursky, Director, Magic Hour

Ronnie Harris, Partner, Harris and Trotter

Jonathan Hart, Producer

Alex Hearn, Creative Director, The Big A

Murray Hecht, Creative

Noreena Hertz, Writer

Sarah Hildering van Lith, Director, Electronic Music Virgin Music Group, Universal Music Group

Tsiona Hill, Actor

Sammy Horowitz, Writer/Producer

Josh Howie, Comedian/Writer

Sandra Jackson, Management, Phil Carson Associates

Sharon Joy, National Campaign Director, Jewish National Fund USA

Daniella Kahane, Founder, Riverside Pictures LLC

Rosie Kay, Director & Choreographer, K2CO

Richard Kemp, Writer

Charlotte Kendall, Accountant, Harris and Trotter LLP

Adam Kenwright, CEO, Kindred Partners

Lee Kern, Writer and Comedian

Melanie Kessler, Production Coordinator

Yosefa Koholany, Project Manager, Indipende

Jacob Krichefski, Actor

Dani Labi, Sales and Marketing, Dani Labi Consulting

Nicole Lampert, Journalist and Broadcaster

Colin Lester OBE, Founder/Chairman, JEM Music Group

Ray Levy, Music Consultant, Ray Levy Consultant

Sean Liebowitz, Agent, Creative Artists Agency

Danielle Livesey, Music Management, PUSH Music Management

David Lonner, CEO, The David Lonner Co.

Patty Malkin, Costume Supervisor, Universal/Warner/Netflix

Gabriel Mann, Composer/Producer

Deborah Marcus, CAA Foundation, Executive, CAA

Amanda Markowitz, Actor/Producer

Orly Marley, President, Tuff Gong Worldwide

Dylan Massoni, Product Manager, Paramount

Natalia Maus, Producer, Nudnik

Brian Message, Director, All Things Considered Management

Debra Messing, Actor

Darren Michaelson, Director, L25 Entertainment

Laurence Miller, Commercial Director/General Manager, Nimax Theatres Ltd

Mark Morris, Managing Director, Investream

Michelle Morris, PR, Emerald PR

Tracy Ann Oberman, Actress and Playwright

Laura Ohnona, PR, LOPR

Ozzy Osbourne, Artist and Author

Sharon Osbourne, Music Manager, Television Host, and Author

Leo Pearlman, Co-CEO, Fulwell Entertainment

Wendy Plaut, SVP Celebrity Talent, Paramount Global

Gina Powell, Producer

Golan Ramraz, Producer, EGX Film Factory

David Renzer, Former Chairman/CEO, Universal Music Publishing

Rick Rosen, Co-Founder, WME

Erez Rosenberg, Partner, Jackoway Austen

Claudia Rosencrantz, TV Producer

Nathan Ross, Film/TV Producer, Lilyrose Productions Inc.

Michael Rotenberg, Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment

Colin Schaverien, Managing Director, Prolifica

Ayelet Schiffman, SVP, Promotion, REPUBLIC

Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive & Music President, Electronic Arts

Nadia Schoenzwytt, Director

Jordan Schur, CEO and Chairman, Mimran Schur Pictures and Suretone Entertainment

Camila Seta, Executive, Brand Consulting

Ofer Shabi, Director, Soho Sonic Ltd

Professor Jonathan Shalit OBE, Chairman, InterTalent/Project 30 Studios/Chosen Music

Hillary Shaw, Managing Director, Entertainment Management

Jeremy Sigel, SVP Marketing Strategy & Operations, Paramount

Ben Silverman, Chairman and Co-CEO, Propagate Content

Tamar Simon, Owner, Mean Streets Management

Martin Singer, Attorney, Lavely & Singer

Jon Smith, Consultant, First Artist

Jeff Sosnow, EVP, A&R, Warner Records

John Spencer, Executive Director, Urban Warfare Institute

Halle Stanford, Executive Producer, The Jim Henson Company

Jonathan Steinsapir, Attorney, Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir

Caroline Stevens, Director, Isolutions Property Services Ltd

Estee Stimler, Playwright/Lyricist

Jonathan Strauss, CEO, Create Music Group

Tara Strong, Actress

Fernando Szew, Head of Studio, Fox Entertainment

Adam Taylor, President, APM Music

Inge Teeuwen, TV Producer, Inge Teeuwen Media

Karynne Tencer, Publicist, Tencer & Associates

Stephanie Thwaites, Literary Agent, Curtis Brown

Fred Toczek, Partner, Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan LLP

Lee Trink, CEO, Game Theory Ventures

Laura Tropp, Publicist, Paramount Pictures

Eric Tuchman, Writer, Producer

Jonathan Turner, Chief Executive, UK Lawyers for Israel

David Ventura, Managing Director, Music Publishing

Noa Vinshtok, Range Media

Vera Wagman, Producer, Velocity + Direction

Karyn Wagner, Costume Designer, Karyn Wagner Costumes Inc

Ariyela Wald-Cohain, Costume Designer, Waco Designs

Evan M. Warner, Senior Partner/Agent, WME

Adam Wells, Director

Rebecca Wicking, Actor/Singer

Modi Wiczyk, Co-Founder, MRC

Jennifer Zeller, Music Consultant, ESP

** Note – The signers of this statement do so as individuals on their own behalf and not on behalf of their companies or organizations. All organizations and companies listed are for affiliation purposes only.

Photo Description–Stock Photo ID: 2331829469

Photo Contributor: Zeynep Demis Aslim

Close Menu
X