05/09/2026
Hollywood stars Mark Ruffalo and Joaquin Phoenix are among thousands of film professionals supporting a boycott of certain Israeli film institutions.
The pledge was organized by Film Workers for Palestine and launched in September 2025.
It calls on filmmakers, actors and other film-industry workers to refuse to screen films, appear at, or otherwise work with Israeli film institutions—including festivals, cinemas, broadcasters and production companies—that the signatories consider implicated in genocide and apartheid against Palestinians.
Mark Ruffalo was among the original high-profile signatories when the campaign was launched.
Joaquin Phoenix joined the pledge shortly afterward, alongside other prominent figures including Emma Stone, Rooney Mara, Jonathan Glazer, Olivia Colman, Tilda Swinton and Ava DuVernay. Within days, the number of signatories had risen from roughly 1,200 to more than 4,000.
The pledge specifically targets institutions rather than Israeli individuals simply because of their nationality. Its organizers say the boycott applies to institutions they believe are complicit—for example, by allegedly whitewashing or justifying abuses or partnering with the Israeli government.
That distinction is important because the viral graphic says Ruffalo and Phoenix pledged to “never work with Israeli film institutions.” The actual pledge is more specific: they pledged not to work with Israeli institutions they regard as implicated in genocide and apartheid, rather than imposing a blanket boycott of every Israeli filmmaker or artist.
The campaign has also faced significant opposition.
Representatives of the Israeli film industry have criticized the boycott, arguing that it unfairly targets a national film industry that includes filmmakers who oppose Israeli government policies and use their work to promote dialogue.
Paramount also publicly opposed the campaign, saying boycotting Israeli filmmakers would undermine artistic exchange. Film Workers for Palestine rejected that characterization, arguing that its pledge targets complicit institutions rather than individuals based on nationality.
As of 2026, the pledge remains active, with the organizers’ website listing more than 8,000 filmmakers and cinema workers as endorsers.
So the underlying claim is genuine—but the image should not be presented as if Ruffalo and Phoenix just announced a new Hollywood boycott in 2026. Their support dates back to the original 2025 campaign.
Sources:
Film Workers for Palestine; The Guardian; Associated Press; Variety; Los Angeles Times.