Warner Bros. Faces Backlash Over Stance Against Israeli Boycott

Warner Bros. Discovery has taken a clear stance against calls to boycott Israeli film institutions, saying that such a boycott would likely go against the company’s internal policies.

A spokesperson for the studio told Variety, “Warner Bros. Discovery is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for its employees, collaborators, and other stakeholders. Our policies prohibit discrimination of any kind, including discrimination based on race, religion, national origin or ancestry. We believe a boycott of Israeli film institutions violates our policies.”

“While we respect the rights of individuals and groups to express their views and advocate for causes, we will continue to align our business practices with the requirements of our policies and the law.” They said.

The statement comes after Film Workers for Palestine organized a pledge last month, which was signed by dozens of industry figures including Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Javier Bardem.

The pledge called for avoiding work with Israeli film institutions that the group claims are involved in “genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” The organization described complicity as including acts like “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.”

Film Workers for Palestine clarified in an FAQ that Israeli citizens of Palestinian heritage would be treated differently under the boycott, with a separate set of “context sensitive” guidelines.

However, lawyers both in the U.S. and the U.K. have warned that such a boycott could violate civil rights and equality laws.

It was reported last week that U.K. Lawyers for Israel said the pledge could breach the Equality Act 2010, making it “highly likely to be a litigation risk.” The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights under Law in Washington D.C. also cautioned that U.S. federal and state civil rights laws could similarly make the boycott illegal.

In addition to studios, more than 1,200 film industry figures, including Liev Schreiber, Mayim Bialik, and Debra Messing, signed an open letter rejecting the boycott.

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