Read the original article here.
The organization has spent the last 21 months pushing back against misinformation, disinformation, and intimidation as anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism continue to take center stage.
By: KELLY HARTOG
JULY 13, 2025 05:17
LOS ANGELES – Long before British punk rock act Bob Vylan took to the stage at Glastonbury in the UK and led thousands of festival attendees in rousing chants of “Death, Death, to the IDF,” the Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) staff was on the case. The blatant death threats and calls to violence, which were amplified by Irish rappers Kneecap, who also whipped the crowd into a frenzy, chanting “Free Palestine” while waving a Hezbollah flag, shocked Israelis and Jews across the world. Kneecap had already garnered headlines back in April after performing at Coachella in Southern California, where it projected on a screen: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the US government, who arms and funds Israel despite their war crimes. F*** Israel; free Palestine.”
The realities of terror support in the arts
Ari Ingel, executive director of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit CCFP, however, remained unsurprised. CCFP comprises prominent members of the entertainment community who promote the arts as a bridge to peace, educate about rising antisemitism in the industry, and galvanize support against the cultural boycott of Israel. Ingel and his team had warned festival organizers for months about both groups.
“We knew about Kneecap’s support for Hamas and Hezbollah as far back as February,” Ingel told The Jerusalem Post. “We contacted venues. We even reached out to Coachella and Glastonbury. Our warnings were ignored.” Despite this, CCFP’s covert actions successfully led to Kneecap’s US visa cancellation following their Coachella appearance, and their actions further led to Kneecap’s agency and Bob Vylan’s management severing ties. “We don’t want to stifle expression,” Ingel explains, “but when artists cross the line into supporting terrorist groups or inciting violence, there must be consequences.”
CCFP was founded in 2012 by Universal Music’s David Renzer and Worldwide Executive and President of Music for Electronic Arts (EA) Steve Schnur. The early focus was on combating boycotts of artists who performed in Israel. At the time, global musicians were inundated with pressure to cancel shows. “There was no balance in the discourse,” Ingel says. “Artists were being harassed into canceling without understanding what they were being asked to support.”
Over the past 13 years, CCFP has expanded its mission to include educating industry professionals about antisemitism, building bridges between Jewish and other communities, and countering the broader cultural boycott of Israel. “What makes us different is that we’re insiders,” Ingel shares. “This industry only listens to people it knows and trusts. That’s why we’ve built a peer-to-peer model. “The nonprofit’s advisory board helps make that happen. Its board members include top-tier industry figures, including the CEO of Warner Music, the president of Virgin Records, and the former CEO of Paramount Pictures. “It gives us access,” says Ingel. “When issues come up, we know who to call. ”CCFP also knows how to get things done quietly behind the scenes.
“We’re not in the game chasing headlines,” Ingel said. “We’re about impact.” That impact quietly affected the set of the hit ABC Network show, Grey’s Anatomy. In 2023, actor Jesse Williams, who played popular doctor Jackson Avery, publicly posted antisemitic statements on his social media. Despite leaving Grey’s Anatomy officially in 2021, the show planned for Williams to direct several episodes in 2023. When studio HR departments failed to respond to complaints, CCFP stepped in. “We reached out to ABC leadership directly,” Ingel shares, noting that many crew and cast were uncomfortable with Williams’ statements. “They weren’t even aware of what was happening, but they took it seriously and addressed it immediately.”
CCFP also worked quietly behind the scenes after music legend Roger Waters ramped up his antisemitic statements and imagery at his concerts. “We went directly to Bertelsmann, the parent company of his publisher, BMG,” Ingel says. “They ended their relationship with him and adopted the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) definition of antisemitism company-wide. “Beyond addressing issues connected to famous industry names, CCFP continues to fight cultural boycotts of Israeli artists and institutions. “It happens at festivals, in literary circles, and even at LGBTQ film events,” Ingel says. “When filmmakers were pressured to pull out of the [2022] Tel Aviv LGBTQ festival, CCFP rallied support from the likes of Sia, Billy Porter, and Zachary Quinto. Since then, not a single filmmaker has pulled out.”
CCFP also played a key role in defending Israel’s participation in Eurovision and resisting efforts to ban it from international sporting events like the World Cup. “We’re the counterbalance,” says Ingel. “We’re here to make sure there’s always another voice in the room. “However, the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre changed everything for the organization, forcing it more into the spotlight. “We knew the initial goodwill toward Israel wouldn’t last,” says Ingel. Indeed, five days after the attack, CCFP released a landmark open letter, signed by over 1,000 industry names (not all Jewish), including Gal Gadot, Helen Mirren, Amy Schumer, and Antoine Fuqua.
The letter condemned the massacre, demanded the release of hostages, and cautioned against spreading misinformation. Then, at the end of October 2023, CCFP launched its #Releasethehostages campaign, where 229 celebrities simultaneously posted about individual hostages. The viral campaign was designed to leverage entertainment leaders’ social media audiences to galvanize international support for the hostages and their families and ultimately to expedite their release from captivity. “People like Zooey Deschanel and Mandy Moore – who had said nothing before – spoke out,” Ingel notes. “Collective action gave them courage.” The organization also arranged trips for celebrities to witness the tragedy firsthand. Debra Messing traveled to Israel months after the attacks, and CCFP also facilitated private forums with hostage families and organized viewings of the Nova exhibit.
Ingel believes that CCFP’s success in an industry renowned for avoiding being seen as pro-Israel is because it is not a traditional pro-Israel PR group. “We don’t do hasbara,” he says. “We are insiders working with other insiders.”
“There’s a perception that Hollywood and the music industry are anti-Israel,” he says, but adds, “that’s not entirely true. Most people just don’t want to get involved. And then there are the quiet supporters who are afraid to speak out. “CCFP, he says, provides a space for those supporters through both dialogue and action. “Post-October 7, we saw a surge. We call them ‘October 8 Jews’– people who always knew they were Jewish but suddenly felt it in a new way, and they were alone. They turned to us.
“The organization has spent the last 21 months pushing back against misinformation, disinformation, and intimidation as anti-Israel sentiment and antisemitism continue to take center stage.
Those efforts have included everything from coordinating open letters and hosting private events to working directly with decision makers, much of which remains invisible. It is precisely this, though, that fuels their success. “If you’re asking how we measure success, it’s not by headlines,” Ingel says. “It’s in the calls that get answered, the events that go on without a problem, and the silent majority who step up and say, ‘I’m with you.’”
Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) stands firmly with Israel’s right to defend itself and its citizens against existential threats.
Iran is not only a threat to Israel—it is the single most destabilizing force in the region and a global sponsor of terror. Through its support for Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and its tyrannical oppression of its own people, the Iranian government has fueled war, extremism, and suffering across the Middle East. And a nuclear-armed Iran would present an existential threat not only to Israel, but to civilians in the entire region.
Israel, like any sovereign nation, has both the right and the duty to defend its citizens. The strikes on Iranian military assets are a defensive response aimed at degrading Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Throughout history, Iran has used moments like this to attack Jewish communities around the world. At this tenuous moment, we call on our colleagues in the entertainment community to stand with the Jewish community and use their platforms to encourage peace.
Read the original article here.
The Creative Community For Peace letter calls for the end to “lies designed to demonize Israel and the Jewish people.”
Nearly 400+ people in the entertainment industry signed an open letter calling for “a rejection of extremist rhetoric and the spread of misinformation.”
The Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) released a letter signed by hundreds of creatives calling for an end to “lies and antisemitic incitement” in the fallout of the Israel-Hamas War.
“Hamas, Iran, and their allies and ideological sympathizers in the West have flooded the world with their hateful lies and antisemitic incitement since October 7 — lies designed to demonize Israel, the Jewish people, and their supporters,” the text of the letter reads.
Some of the signatories included Mayim Bialik, Debra Messing, Sharon Osbourne, Jerry O’Connell, Patricia Heaton, and Uzo Aduba.
Anti-Zionist protests affect Jewish lives
The letter went on to note the effects of the war, noting the shooting of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington DC earlier this month. It also stated that the signatories believed that many people in Hollywood had been “manipulated by the constant stream of misinformation.”
The CCFP letter noted that the signatories believed that recent waves of anti-Zionist and anti-Israel protests directly endangered Jews around the world.
“We reject the anti-Israel movement co-opting every social justice cause — outrageously claiming that to stand with the LGBTQIA+ community, or with anti-racist, anti-colonialist, anti-Islamophobic and anti-antisemitic movements, is to stand against Israel,” the statement read.
Notable entertainment leaders from around the globe including Debra Messing, Julianna Margulies, Mayim Bialik, Sharon Osbourne, Jerry O’Connell, Patricia Heaton, Uzo Aduba, Sherry Lansing, Haim Saban, Rebecca De Mornay, Ynon Kreiz, Rick Rosen, Gary Barber, Ben Silverman, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Leo Pearlman, Diane Warren amongst many others, demand an end to amplification of anti-Israel propaganda.
LOS ANGELES, May 29, 2025 — More than 400 entertainment leaders signed an open letter released by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community For Peace (CCFP) calling for a rejection of extremist rhetoric and the spread of misinformation.
The letter comes in response to the deadly shooting of two young people outside a Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. and after the release of multiple open letters from the entertainment and literature communities filled with fallacious claims and incendiary accusations.
Actress Mayim Bialik said: “History repeats itself: peddling lies about Jews has deadly consequences. For the past two years, public figures and influencers with millions of followers have consistently promoted fallacious and menacing anti-Israel propaganda masquerading as advocacy. This stream of lies against the Jewish people and the Jewish ancestral homeland has now – unsurprisingly to anyone watching closely – turned deadly in the United States. This moment requires public figures to use their platforms responsibly. We implore these individuals to lend their voices to those of moral clarity, peace and tolerance, instead of division, distortion and delegitimization.”
Since October 7th, the rhetoric and actions from anti-Israel activists around the globe routinely embrace extremism and antisemitism.
Following the shooting in Washington, D.C., the suspect repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine,” showcasing how the anti-Israel movement has been radicalized to violence.
Saban Capital Group Chairman and CEO Haim Saban said: “When public figures accuse Israel of genocide, call for intifada, or claim Jews are colonizers, they may not understand the history they’re invoking — but the people who act on those words often do. This open letter is a plea for truth, for accountability, and for responsibility — especially from those with powerful platforms.”
The letter highlights how celebrities unknowingly platform dangerous propaganda, “Some well-meaning celebrities and public figures have been manipulated by this constant stream of misinformation, which they have also helped to amplify.”
CCFP Chairman/Co-Founder David Renzer and Executive Director Ari Ingel said, “For the past 600 days, the anti-Israel movement has espoused an unrelenting stream of extremist rhetoric to demonize Israel and anyone who supports the country — it’s a toxic mix of distortion, bigotry and incitement. Given the power of social media, it’s incumbent on entertainers and public figures, with their ability to influence millions around the world, to use their platforms responsibly. Without a course correction, we will only see more hate, more violence, and more innocent people targeted simply for being Jewish.”
The statement is the first of its kind – a call from the entertainment community to unequivocally condemn the anti-Israel movement’s role in scapegoating and endangering Jews around the globe.
The letter states: “Hamas, Iran, and their allies and ideological sympathizers in the West have flooded the world with their hateful lies and antisemitic incitement since October 7 — lies designed to demonize Israel, the Jewish people, and their supporters.”
The letter concludes: “We call on all our colleagues to reject this extremist rhetoric and the spread of misinformation so that we can all work toward a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and dignity.”
Signatories Include:
Debra Messing, Actress; Uzo Aduba, Actress; Julianna Margulies, Actor, Producer, Author; Jerry O’Connell, Actor; Mayim Bialik, Actor, Writer, Producer; Sharon Osbourne, Manager & TV Host; Patricia Heaton, Actress; Rebecca De Mornay, Actress; Sherry Lansing, Former CEO of Paramount Pictures; Haim Saban, Chairman and CEO, Saban Capital Group; Rick Rosen, Co-Founder, Endeavor; Gary Barber, Hollywood Executive; Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO, Mattel, Inc.; Ben Silverman; Chairman & Co-CEO, Propagate Content; Diane Warren, Songwriter; Aaron Bay-Schuck, CEO/Co-Chairman Warner Records; Fernando Szew, CEO, FOX Entertainment Global; Julie Greenwald, Former Chairman & CEO, Atlantic Records Group; Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music Google and YouTube; Diane Warren, Songwriter; John Ondrasik (Five For Fighting), Artist; David Draiman, Lead Singer of Disturbed, Artist; Emmanuelle Chriqui, Actress; Danny Cohen, President of Access Entertainment; Jonathan Shalit OBE, Chairman InterTalent Rights Group / Chosen Music / Project 30 Studios; Matisyahu, Musician; Fred Savage, Actor; Modi Wiczyk, Co-Founder, MRC; Leo Pearlman, Co-CEO, Fulwell Entertainment; David Renzer, Former CEO/Chairman Universal Music Publishing; Michael Rotenberg, Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment; Dean Cain, Actor; Neil Blair, Partner, The Blair Partnership; Blair Kohan, Partner, UTA; Billy Ray, Writer, Producer; amongst many others.
Add Your Name: If you are a member of the entertainment community (only), you can sign onto the letter here: [Link]
FULL OPEN LETTER
We, the undersigned, are saying enough! Enough with the lies, and enough with the extremism.
Hamas, Iran, and their allies and ideological sympathizers in the West have flooded the world with their hateful lies and antisemitic incitement since October 7 — lies designed to demonize Israel, the Jewish people, and their supporters.
Some well-meaning celebrities and public figures have been manipulated by this constant stream of misinformation, which they have also helped to amplify.
On May 21, 2025 we saw that these lies can have deadly consequences when two young people were murdered outside a Jewish Museum in Washington D.C., as the perpetrator chanted “Free Palestine” — a chant that has now become a call to violence.
War is horrific — where far too many civilians suffer — which is why even though Hamas launched wars against Israel in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2021, the wars were short-lived.
But the gruesome Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023 changed everything.
Tragically, the suffering of civilians in Gaza is a strategy of Hamas, with one Hamas official stating that it is “a small price” to pay.
When Russia launched its war on Ukraine, it was the women and children that went underground in the metro system for safety while the men fought above ground.
In contrast, in Gaza — after Hamas launched their genocidal war on Israel — it was their fighters who went underground into the Gaza “metro,” while leaving women and children above ground to be used as their human shields.
This is a war Hamas started, and one that they can end by releasing the hostages, by laying down their arms, thereby freeing the Palestinians of Gaza from their tyrannical rule as well.
Yet, Hamas refuses to relent on their demand to have all of the land between the river and the sea cleansed of Jews, as they state in their own charter:
“The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.’ (Article 7).
The anti-Israel campaign shares this extremism.
The anti-Israel campaign refuses to hold Hamas accountable for the death and destruction caused by their illegal and repeated use of hospitals, mosques, schools, and UN facilities to launch attacks and shield their command centers.
The anti-Israel campaign refuses to acknowledge that the vast majority of “journalists” pumping out propaganda in Gaza are, in fact, members or supporters of the terrorist organizations themselves — even joining Hamas on October 7th to help broadcast their massacre inside Israel to the world.
The anti-Israel campaign spreads the antisemitic blood libel that the Jewish state – and all the Jews that support Israel – are bloodthirsty, intentionally targeting civilians, and committing “genocide.”
The anti-Israel campaign makes outrageous claims — such as Israel seeking to murder 14,000 babies in a 48-hour period — claims so egregious they should collapse under the weight of its own absurdity. Yet, these claims are amplified by the media, in addition to celebrities who share this disinformation to their millions of followers on social media.
The anti-Israel campaign claims that Jews are colonizers, when they are indigenous to the land of Israel and have the right to self-determination in their historical homeland as enshrined by the UN Charter.
We reject all these lies.
We reject the anti-Israel movement co-opting every social justice cause — outrageously claiming that to stand with the LGBTQIA+ community, or with anti-racist, anti-colonialist, anti-Islamophobic and anti-antisemitic movements, is to stand against Israel.
This is all done to paint Israel — and Jews around the world — as embodying the world’s ultimate evils. This is antisemitism.
We call on all our colleagues to reject this extremist rhetoric and the spread of misinformation so that we can all work toward a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and dignity.
SIGNATORIES
Ari Ingel, Executive Director, Creative Community for Peace
Aaron Bay-Schuck, CEO/Co-Chairman Warner Records
Rakefet Abergel, Actor
Michael Abrams, Talent Manager, Constellation Media Group
Jason Adelman, VP, Brand Innovators Labs
Orly Adelson, Former President of ITV Studios, America
Marty Adelstein, CEO, Tomorrow Studios
Dan Adler, Producer
Uzo Aduba, Artist
Shir Aharon, Talent Manager
Michael Auerbach, Partner, Jackoway Austen
Dean Bahat, Attorney, Ziffren Brittenham LLP
Andrea Ballas, VP Communications, CBS/Paramount
Craig Balsam, CEO, RT Industries
Gary Barber, Executive
Eve Barlow, Writer
Jackie Barrie, A&R Executive
Jonathan Baruch, President, Rain
Richard Baskind, Partner & Head of Music, Simons Muirhead & Burton
Aton Ben-Horin, Executive VP A&R, Warner Music Group/CEO, Plush Mgmt.
David Bercovici-Artieda, Director/Producer, EQUINOX DREAM PROJECT
Adam Berkowitz, Founder and President, Lenore Entertainment Group
Mayim Bialik, Actor, Writer, Producer, Sad Clown Productions
Sharon Bialy, Casting Director/Co-Owner, Bialy/Thomas & Associates
Hillary Bibicoff, Transactional Entertainment Attorney, Feig Finkel LLP
David Bickel, Writer/Producer
Allison Binder, Partner, GGSS&C
Joshua P. Binder, Partner, Rothenberg, Mohr, & Binder, LLP
Neil Blair, Partner, The Blair Partnership
Evan Bogart, Songwriter & CEO, Seeker Music
Sarah Bremner, Partner, Prologue Entertainment
Joanne Bressler, SVP, Attorney
Kevin Bright, Producer, Just Bright Productions.
Drew Buckley, Group President, COO, Propagate Content
Benjamin Budde, CEO, Budde Group
David Byrnes, Partner, Ziffren Brittenham LLP
Dean Cain, Actor
Emily Cameron, Manager, Plush Management
Sarah Camlett, Agent
Civia Caroline, Industry Impact Consultant, CLiC Impact Entertainment
Markell Casey, Founder & Manager, Worldwide Tracks
Cliff Chenfeld, Co-Founder, Razor & Tie
David Chesnoff, Partner, Chesnoff and Schinfeld
Emmanuelle Chriqui, Actor
Danny Cohen, President, Access Entertainment
Emily Cohen, Director
Gabriella Cohen, Musician
Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music, Google and YouTube
Tanya Cohen, Partner, Range Media Partners
Leanne Coronel, President, The Coronel Group
Raye Cosbert, Managing Director, Metropolis Music
Ben Cosgrove, CEO, Leviathan Productions
Avi Dahan, Attorney, Boyarski Fritz LLP
Robin Davids, Publicity, Sony Pictures Entertainment
David Davis, Lawyer
Doug Davis, Attorney and Founder, The Davis Firm
Mirelle Davis, Artist Manager, Wind Up Bird Ltd
Rebecca De Mornay, Actress
Linda Deal, Social Work
Danielle Del, Partner, D2 Management
Jamie Denbo, Writer/Actor
Kurt Deutsch, President, Broadway Music Group
Avi Diamond, Director, Film & TV Licensing, Warner Music Canada
Michael Diamond, Talent Manager/Partner, Range Media Partners
Ro Diamond, Vice President, SDB Partners
Craig Dorfman, Owner/Manager, Frontline Management
Rachel Douglas, Manager, Range Media Partners
Brian P. Drach, Attorney, Lewis Brisbois
David Draiman, Frontman of the band Disturbed
A.M. Driver, Actress
Jeremy Drysdale, Screenwriter
Linda Edell Howard, Attorney, Edell Howard Enterprises LLC
Jessica Elbaum, Producer, Gloria Sanchez Productions
Talya Elitzer, Co-Founder, Godmode Music
Craig Emanuel, Executive, The Kid From Downunder Inc.
Emma Engers, Agent, Emma Engers Associates Ltd
Dvora Englefield, Partner and Head of Music Artist Strategy, WME
Hannah Epstein, Agent, CAA
Rami “Kosha Dillz” Even-Esh, Artist/Comic/Filmmaker
Ron Fair, Record Producer & CEO, Faircraft Inc.
Sharon Farber, Film Composer
Eric Feig, Partner, Feig/Finkel, LLP
Joel Feigenbaum, Vice President, Warner Music Group
Patti Felker, Partner, Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan LLP
Jacob Fenton, Partner, UTA
Ken Fermaglich, Partner, UTA
Mark Feuerstein, Actor
Bradley Fischer, Producer
Erica Forster, COO, Pendulum
Jordan Frazes, Founder, Frazes Creative
Jennifer Freed, Artist Management
Hilary Freeman, Journalist and Author
Adam Friedman, Executive, Creative Artists Agency
Adina Friedman, Manager, Artist House
Daryl Friedman, Former Chief Advocacy & Industry Relations Officer, The Recording Academy
Siri Garber, CEO and Founder, Platform Public Relations
David Gardner, President, Artists First
Jeremy Garelick, Writer/Director/Producer
Barbara Garshman, Writer/Producer, Garshman ProductionsLLC
Andrew Genger, Manager, Red Light Management
Maya Giladi, Business & Legal Affairs, Netflix
Gary Ginsberg, Author and TV Producer
Jordan Glickson, VP, Music & Talent, Vevo
Elissa Gold, Creative Event Producer & Cultural Programmer
Michael Goldstein, Executive Producer
Michael Goldwasser, President/Co-Founder, Easy Star Records
Robert Golenberg, President, Pivot Artists Group
Jonathan Gordon, Producer
Michael Gordon, Partner, Creative Artists Agency
Andrew Gould, President, Music Publishing, Roc Nation
Marc Graboff, Media Consultant
Westside Gravy, Artist
Scott Greenberg, Manager and Partner, LBI Entertainment
Julie Greenwald, Music Executive
Daniel Grindlinger, Writer
Julie Gurovitsch, Producer, NBC
Elle Hamilton, Stuntwoman, Stuntwomen’s Association
Lynn Harris, Film Producer
Ronnie Harris, Partner, Harris & Trotter LLP
Ronny Hatchwell, Industry Relations Manager, CCFP
Patricia Heaton, Actress
Noreena Hertz, Writer
Joanne Horowitz, Talent Management/ Producer, Joanne Horowitz Management
Sammy Horowitz, Writer/Producer
Josh Howie, Comedian/Writer
Richard “BournRich” Ingram, Artist/Creative Director
Neil Jacobson, CEO, Hallwood Media
Jonathan Jakubowicz, Writer & Director
Sara Johnson, Access Consultant
Heather Kadin, President, Scripted Television, Range Media Partners
Dan Kanter, Musical Director
Michael Kaplan, Writer-Producer
Zach Katz, CEO & Co-Founder, Fixated
Melanie Kessler, Production Co-ordinator
Dana Klein, Writer, EP
Sam Kling, Chief Creative Officer for SESAC
Keetgi Kogan Steinberg, Writer/Producer/Showrunner
Blair Kohan, Partner, United Talent Agency
David Kohan, Writer-Producer
Eric Kranzler, Co-Founder, Entertainment 360
Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO, Mattel Inc.
Rick Krim, CEO, Krim Music + Media
Sherry Lansing, Former CEO, Paramount Pictures
Estelle Lasher, President, Lasher Group
Adam Leibner, Partner/Agent, UTA
Allan Leicht, Writer
Colin Lester OBE, Chairman/CEO, JEM Music Group
Ben Levine, Partner/Link Entertainment, Link Entertainment
Robert Levine, Editor At Large, Billboard
Avi Liberman, Entertainer
Sharon Lieblein, Casting Director, Sharon Lieblein Casting
Sean Liebowitz, Agent
Robin Lippin, Owner, Lippin/Block Casting
Cory Litwin, Managing Partner, Music, Range Media Partners
David Lonner, CEO, The David Lonner Company
Jane Lush, Former BAFTA Chair and Former BBC Head of Ent.
Ben Maddahi, President, Unrestricted Publishing/Management
Gabriel Mann, Composer/Producer
Deborah Marcus, Executive, CAA
Ashlee Margolis, Founder & Managing Partner, The A List
Julianna Marguiles, Actor, Producer, Author
Orly Marley, President, Tuff Gong Worldwide
Rafael Marmor, Partner, Delirio Films
Matisyahu, Musician
Nancy Matalon, Manager
Debra Messing, Actor/Producer
Max Michael, Head of Asia Business Development, UTA
Darren Michaelson, Director, L25 Entertainment
Petra Miller, Account Director, Alive Activation
Gev Miron, Director
Elizabeth Much, CEO, East to West Collective PR
DJ Nash, Showrunner/Executive Producer/Director, Next Thing You Know, Inc.
Stefi Novo, Songwriter
Lisa Nupoff, Manager, iminmusic management
Jerry O’Connell, Actor
John Ondrasik, Five for Fighting
Sharon Osbourne, Manager & TV Personality
Howard Owens, Co-CEO, Propagate
Scott Packman, Founder and Managing Member, SSP Partners LLC
Sharon Paz, Manager/Founder, Paz Talent
Leo Pearlman, Co-CEO, Fulwell Entertainment
Mark Pinkus, President, Rhino Records
Jonah Platt, Creator/Host, Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
Wendy Plaut, SVP, Celebrity Talent, Paramount Global
Rhonda Price, Managing Partner, Gersh Agency
Jeff Rabhan, CEO, Bored-of-ed.com
Sylvie Rabineau, Co-Head, Book to Film/TV, WME
Golan Ramraz, Writer-Producer, EGX Film Factory
Billy Ray, Writer/Director
David Renzer, Former CEO/Chairman Universal Music Publishing
Bruce Resnikoff, President & CEO, Universal Music Enterprises
Frederic Richter, Archive Producer, Researcher, Writer
Doug Robinson, Producer, DRP
Dan Rosen, President, Warner Music Australasia
Rick Rosen, Co-Founder, WME
Aaron Rosenberg, Partner, Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light
Erez Rosenberg, Attorney
Shani Rosenzweig, Partner, Talent Agent, UTA
Brian Ross, Writer-Producer
Gregg Rossen, Screenwriter
Michael Rotenberg, Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment
Lynn Roth, Writer. Producer, Director, Lynn Roth Productions, Inc.
Joshua Rothstein, CEO/Founder, Ice Cream For Dinner
Susan Rovner, Producer, Aha Studios
Jonathan Ruggiero, Filmmaker
Haim Saban, Chairman and CEO, Saban Capital Group
Wendy Sachs, Director/Producer, October 8 Film
David Sacks, Executive Producer
Laura Salvato, Director, Publicity, Paramount Pictures
Nicola Saul, Personal Assistant, Warner Music
Anna Savage, Manager, Full Stop Management
Fred Savage, Actor/Director/Producer
Leslie Schapira, Writer/Producer
William Schmidt, TV Writer
Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive & Music President, Electronic Arts
Jordan Schur, CEO & Chairman, Mimran Schur Pictures & Suretone Entertainment
Sam Schwartz, Co-principal, Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency
Teddy Schwarzman, CEO, Black Bear
Jay Schweid, Founder/CEO, ephelants / Village
Adam J. Segal, President, The 2050 Group – Publicity
Rick Senat, Producer
Stefi Shabashev, Songwriter
Professor Jonathan Shalit OBE, Chairman, InterTalent Rights Group / Chosen Music / Project 30 Studios
Carly Shear, Head of Legal, Hat Trick Productions
Ben Silverman, Chairman and Co-CEO, Propagate Content
Tamar Simon, Film Distribution/PR, Mean Streets Management
Marty Singer, Managing Partner, Lavely & Singer
Danielle Solzman, Film Critic, Solzy at the Movies
Jeff Sosnow, EVP A&R, Warner Records
Donna Spievak, VP of Strategic Marketing, Interscope Records
Halle Stanford, President, Executive Producer, 7 Crow Stories
Mimi Steinberg, Writer and Producer
Jonathan Steinsapir, Attorney
Tracy Steinsapir, President, Main Title Entertainment
Deena Stern, Marketing Executive
Caroline Stevens, Director, iSolutions Ltd
Gary Stiffelman, Founder, GSS Law
Estee Stimler, Writer
Lee Stone, Entertainment Lawyer, Lee & Thompson
Alison Stover, Actor/Filmmaker, Luminous Pictures
Daniel Sussman, Talent Manager, Brillstein Entertainment Partners
Aaron Symonds, Film Composer, AJS Music
Fernando Szew, President, Fox Entertainment Studios
Traci Szymanski, President of Co-Star Entertainment
Sharon Tal Yguado, Founder & CEO, Astrid Entertainment
Nina Tassler, Prodicer, Kismet Creative Group
Adam Taylor, President, APM Music
Suzanne Tenner, Photographer
Fred Toczek, Partner, Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson LLP
Lee Trink, CEO, Game Theory Ventures
Eric Tuchman, Writer/Producer, MGM-TV
Montana Tucker, Singer/Actress/Dancer/Social Media Activist
Noa Vinshtok, Streaming Manager, Range Media Partners/Range Music
Alex Voihanski, President, Paramount Business Group
Vera Wagman, Producer
Katie Walder, Actress
Evan Warner, Senior Partner/Agent, WME
Diane Warren, Songwriter, Producer
Joshua Washington, Artist/Producer
Jon Weinbach, President, Skydance Sports
Jenni Weinman, Strategist, The Current Co.
Nola Weinstein, Entertainment Executive
Jarred Weisfeld, President, Objective Entertainment
Joshua Weisleder, Global Music Rights
Ilana Wernick, Writer/Producer
Modi Wiczyk, Co-Founder, MRC
Cindy Wiener, Music Executive, Realsongs, Realsongs
Evan Winiker, Managing Partner, Music, Range Media Partners
Cara Wodnicki, Founder, CSW Publicity
Seth Yanklewitz, Casting Director, Yanklewitz Pollack Casting
Hilary Zaitz Michael, Co-Head & Partner, Literary Packaging at WME
Kari Zalik, Publicist, Bad Parade
David Zedeck, Global Co-Head of Music, UTA
Oran Zegman, Film/TV Director, Van Zegman Films
ADDITIONAL SIGNATORIES
Mika Aharfi, Composer, Echomusicfarm
Susie Arons, President, 42West
Bob Bergen, Voice Actor
Brent Brotine, Writer
Avigail Cenci di Bello, Director of Development
Sadaf Cohen Muncy, SVP, Development and Production, HappyNest Entertainment
Adrianna Costa, Journalist/Host
Howard Davine, COO, Wiip Productions
Jon Ehrlich, Composer
Samantha Ettus, Author
Diana Golan, Make Up Artist
Heidi Haddad, Writer/Producer/Actress, Best Case Scenario Productions
Simon Halfon, Producer, Nemperor Ltd
Elizabeth Hepworth, Actress
Dana Landman, Management
Micha Liberman, President/Lead Music Editor, Mind Meld Arts, Inc.
Alexandra Lumerman, Photographer, Alexandra Lumerman Photography
Molly Madden, Manager/Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment
Arnon Manor, Producer, Chemical Soup
Laurence Miller, Producer/Commercial Director, Nimax Theatres
Brad Pomerance, Executive Vice President, Jewish Life Television/JLTV
Chris Queen, Editor, PJ Media/Townhall Media
Lisa Randleman, Actor
Fred Raskin, Film Editor
Itay Reiss, Partner, Artists First
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Yuval David, Actor, Filmmaker, Journalist
Shula Daws, Development Producer, Plum Pictures
Mandana Dayani, Creator, I Am A Voter and Calanet Foundation
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Fredric London, Actor
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Sheva Elliot, Singer/Songwriter/Composer/Producer
Sheyna Galyan, Award-winning Author
Leslie Kendall Dye, Actress
Cathy Lawrence, Production Manager
Adrienne Ross Scanlan, Writer/Editor
Susanna Speier, Actor | Journalist | Publisher
** 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.
Cover Photo: Shutterstock 2117805590
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Organizers were reportedly blindsided by the hip-hop trio’s “Fuck Israel” display – but one advocacy group says it sounded the alarm days in advance
Coachella organizers were warned in advance by multiple people that the Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap would take an aggressive anti-Israel stance when they were booked at the festival but failed to act, according to music industry insiders who spoke to TheWrap after “Fuck Israel” messages and chanting dominated the group’s act last weekend.
“Goldenvoice and AEG are claiming they were blindsided by the band and had no clue,” Ari Ingel, executive director of pro-Israel entertainment nonprofit Creative Community for Peace, told The Wrap on Tuesday. “This is a lie. They knew, and they refused to act.”
The concert organizer Goldenvoice and its owner AEG did not return multiple attempts by TheWrap to respond.
Kneecap kicked up a “Free Palestine” chant during the festival’s second weekend along with shouts of “Fuck Israel” and other antisemitic messaging projected onstage, to raucous chanting by the crowd. Festival organizers have yet to comment on the display, but reportedly said privately that they were “blindsided.”
The naked antisemitism of the moment at a music festival – with echoes of the Nova Music Festival massacre by Hamas still ringing in the air – has divided the music industry and roiled Jewish advocacy groups.
Ingel said he emailed Goldenvoice and AEG executives on April 13 and again April 15, according to an internal communication to his nonprofit’s advisory board obtained by TheWrap. Emails were sent to Goldenvoice CEO and president Paul Tollett, AEG/Goldenvoice COO Melissa Ormond and Goldenvoice owner and COO Jay Marciano, alerting them that the political provocateurs from West Belfast would bring what it called their strident pro-Hezbollah and pro-Hamas messages to the festival stage.
“You had a band here that is an extremist band that supports Hezbollah and Hamas that whipped this crowd of thousands into an anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, antisemitic frenzy at a music festival that could have led to who knows what,” Ingel told TheWrap. “Say there was some young kid with a Star of David on his neck. Could that kid have gotten beat up and lynched?”
Some uncensored messaging to Coachella 🤝🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/WbHZBrCZl5
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 19, 2025
A representative for Kneecap did not respond to TheWrap’s outreach. The band has been known to support the ideology of terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah in the past, including the attacks of October 7, 2023.
In addition to his work at CCFP, Ingel is an entertainment attorney and music manager. Other music industry insiders were similarly critical of AEG and Goldenvoice.
A veteran music manager who didn’t want to be identified told TheWrap: “It was a bad f—king booking. AEG didn’t have to be geniuses to know if you book this group they’ll support Hamas. If you book Pussy Riot you should expect them to say something critical of Putin.”
Yet another music industry insider said they were in touch with AEG ahead of the festival, and also warned them about Kneecap: “We said this is going to be a disaster. They’ll do something crazy – and of course they did. Maybe he [Tollett] was naïve, but they f–ked up.”
The performance sent shockwaves through Jewish advocacy groups, including the Brigade, a community of PR executives fighting against antisemitism in entertainment.
“It is one thing for artists to use their stages to protest war and express free speech, but quite another to promote hate – and at Coachella, which is billed as a haven for inclusivity and peace,” the group said in an exclusive statement to TheWrap. “Perhaps AEG/Goldenvoice have already forgotten Nova, the site of the largest music festival massacre. And your silence AEG, it’s almost as triggering as the terror fueled display you enabled. Many in the audience and beyond cannot afford the luxury of forgetting.”
The band’s live feed was cut during the first weekend due to extreme remarks about Margaret Thatcher and offensive on-screen anti-Israel statements. After that, Ingel said he and CCFP colleagues reached out again, laying out “who this band was, what they stood for, what they were planning” and urged the higher ups to cancel their performance or ensure that it would not turn into a spectacle for hate and violent speech. They received no response, he said.
Surprisingly, Tollett, one of the co-founders of Coachella, recently visited a Los Angeles exhibit memorializing Nova, the trance music festival held in southern Israel that was attacked on Oct. 7, 2023 by Hamas militants. An estimated 380 attendees – mostly young people who had gathered to dance – were slaughtered. The meeting was said to be a poignant moment, as Tollett made the connection between the Hamas terror attack and his own music gathering.
Nova issued a statement reacting to the Kneecap performance – as well as the ongoing silence from Coachella’s leaders:
“When our exhibit first came to Los Angeles, the founder of Coachella himself, Paul Tollett, was one of our first visitors. He did not know our story, but after witnessing, he saw his own humanity and his own festival within ours. He sat with us, cried with us, and advocated for us. Today we will do the same for him. Coachella like Nova is a place of love.”
The Nova exhibit was a project of superstar producer and manager Scooter Braun, who defended Tollett, a personal friend, writing Sunday in an Instagram post: “Let’s not lose sight of who this man is, and let us stand with him in this moment when a group, without his knowing, took advantage of his festival and created hate in a place that’s filled with love.”
Ingel called Braun’s post out-of-bounds.
“While I appreciate Scooter’s sentiment and sticking up for his friend — sadly, and unfortunately — it’s misguided,” Ingel said. “Paul and Jay Marciano — along with Melissa — were all briefed by me and CCFP about who Kneecap was, what they stood for, their affinity for terrorist groups and their plans to do a stunt like this. Those warnings were totally ignored. Silence.”
Kneecap took the stage Saturday as the words “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people” appeared above them. Other messages included “Fuck Israel” and “Free Palestine.” Later in the set, rapper and singer Mo Chara, known for his flow between Irish and English languages, led the crowd in a “Free Palestine” chant.
There were other warnings of trouble ahead, including during Kneecap’s first-weekend performance. The Times of Israel reported that the band’s livestream was cut off over its messaging – including a screed against the late Margaret Thatcher. After posting on X that it wouldn’t happen again, Kneecap made sure to capture and post images and video of last weekend’s performance.
Mo chara speaking to thousands of Americans at coachella.
The young people of America don’t support genocide, get out on the streets and show this to that cunt Trump. 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/fExyAn7GA6
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 19, 2025
“Coachella understood that from weekend one – and still allowed it for weekend two,” Ingel said. “The only reason I can come up with is that they were scared of the backlash they may face from the anti-Israel community, and they were more scared of that than they were scared of what the pro-Israel and Jewish communities would think.”
It wasn’t clear whether any of Saturday’s performance came through Coachella’s livestream, but leftist social media influencer Hasan Piker joined the band onstage and streamed to his own Twitch channel with nearly 3 million followers. The band also posted several of its most strident on-stage messages on its X account.
Ingel said his nonprofit continues to track Kneecap as they prepare for summer tour season, with nearly two-dozen dates booked in the U.S. and beyond.
Our October US/Canada tour will see us joined by the brilliant Bricknasty on support for all shows 🔥
Only two dates with a handful of tickets left pic.twitter.com/KI1wbT7c0z
— KNEECAP (@KNEECAPCEOL) April 22, 2025
Sharon Waxman and Tess Patton contributed to reporting of this story.
Cover Phot: Getty Images – Credit: Emma McIntyre / Stringer
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“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
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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.
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