On divisions – Sharon Waxman in NYT;

‘Gaza has pitted Hollywood against itself. And as the season of serious filmmaking arrives with Venice and the Toronto International Film Festivals, the divisions it has wrought are back in the spotlight.
The brutal violence that began almost two years ago, on Oct. 7, 2023, has divided the entertainment community like few issues in recent decades, with torturous results. Unlike South African apartheid or even the war in Ukraine, issues the largely progressive industry could unite over, the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis remains a third rail, with convictions running deep and angry across the board. The documentary “No Other Land,” which depicted oppression in the West Bank, won film festival acclaim last year and an Oscar but stirred such controversy that distributors didn’t want to touch it.’

(…)

‘The Venice Film Festival kicked off last month with a huge street protest, along with calls by a group of international filmmakers and artists to take a “clear and unambiguous stand” against the “ongoing genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing across Palestine carried out by the Israeli government and army.” The group also wanted the festival to rescind invitations to actors featured in films premiering there, including the “In the Hand of Dante” stars Gal Gadot, who is Israeli, and Gerard Butler, who made statements in support of Israel.
The festival organizers, as well as the “Dante” filmmaker Julian Schnabel, responded by trying to return the focus to the films in the festival. Ms. Gadot and Mr. Butler were not disinvited, but they did not show up, either.’

(…)

‘On one side is a deeply wary and often well-established Jewish community that suspects, not without evidence, that stories that present Israel’s point of view sympathetically are unwelcome and that the rising threat of antisemitism is being ignored by progressive colleagues.
On the other is a cohort of politically aware artists and executives, including a younger generation of Jews, who are horrified by the carnage in Gaza yet fear that publicly supporting Palestinians could hurt their careers. Susan Sarandon spoke at a pro-Palestinian rally and was dropped by her talent agency. Melissa Barrera was booted from her role in the “Scream” franchise after she posted criticism of Israel’s military response to the Oct. 7 attacks and appeared to endorse a conspiracy theory that Jews control the media.
The “Snow White” star Rachel Zegler posted, “And always remember, free Palestine,” during the film’s early promotion in August 2024. She continued to defend her views on the Palestinians on red carpets with the movie’s release this year. Certainly Disney executives believe that this didn’t help “Snow White,” which did an anemic $206 million globally. Ms. Zegler was recently onstage in London starring in “Evita,” but if you ask Hollywood decision makers, she is unhirable for the movies because the Gaza war is not an issue anyone in the business wants discussed by one of their stars.
Defending Israel isn’t without consequence, either. A vocal supporter of Israel, Mayim Bialik, lost her gig as a “Jeopardy” host in December 2023, and some whispered that it was because of her activism.’

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‘Mr. Ingel pointed out to me that TIFF this year includes four films that told Palestinian stories, which is why he is glad that his group was able to put “The Road Between Us” on, too. One of those four films, the director Kaouther Ben Hania’s Gaza drama “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” won the second-place grand jury prize at Venice.
Both do what films do: bring the audience into the experiences and humanity of others not themselves. Hollywood should never be afraid to do that.’

Read the article here.

Gaza has pitted everybody against everybody, and as I said before, Zionism degenerated into Messianism (who knows if this was inevitable or not) will divide the Jews more than ever.
The question is not so much will the Jewish state survive, the question is, will Jewry survive.

In the cultural industry nothing is more feared than damage to reputations that should not be damaged, because damaged reputations make less money.

If you want to be on the safe side, it’s don’t mention the war all over again.

It depends on your subculture, but it never hurts to declare that you are against genocide and war crimes.

If you are avantgarde, you say, ‘let’s go back to Europe.’ If you are Jewish, that is.