Along with 40 other famous film stars, Mark Ruffalo comes in support of Emma Watson after the Israeli ambassador bashed her for supporting Palestine.
The stars of Hollywood, including Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Viggo Mortensen, have backed Harry Potter actress Emma Watson after her social media post about Palestinian solidarity drew the ire of Israeli officials.
Solidarity is a verb… and especially solidarity with Palestinians fighting for their human rights under international law. – Emma Watson
In a statement circulated on Thursday and signed by more than 40 film industry notables
The letter noted the imbalance of power between Israel as the occupying power and the Palestinians, the people living under a system of military occupation and apartheid.
Last week, as Watson wrote on his Instagram account, “Solidarity is a verb,” he uploaded a picture from a pro-Palestinian rally. In the Harry Potter films, she played Hermione Granger.
More than one million people liked the post last week, and Israeli officials condemned it immediately.
Danny Danon, former Israeli ambassador to the UN, referred to the Harry Potter films by saying, “10 points from Gryffindor.”
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, wrote on Twitter that fiction works well in Harry Potter but does not work in reality. If that were to happen, magic could eliminate Hamas’ oppression of women and the PA’s support for terror. If that were to happen, I would support it,” he replied.
All forms of bigotry, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, were explicitly condemned in the professional film statement.
In addition to director Asif Kapadia, screenwriter James Schamus, and Oscar-nominated director Mira Nair, the pro-Palestinian letter was also signed by screenwriter/producer Oren Moverman (The Messenger).
The cast also includes Palme d’Or winner Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake), as well as actors Michael Malarkey (The Vampire Diaries) and Matt McGorry (How to Get Away with Murder, Orange Is the New Black).
Across the occupied Palestinian territory, Israeli attempts to forcibly displace Palestinian families from their homes are ongoing, according to the letter.
