Warner Bros. Discovery Speaks Out Against Israeli Film Boycott: ‘Our Policies Prohibit Discrimination of Any Kind’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Warner Bros. Discovery has responded to a legal letter regarding calls for a boycott of Israeli film institutions, acknowledging such a pledge would likely violate its internal policies.

“Warner Bros. Discovery is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for its employees, collaborators, and other stakeholders,” a spokesperson for WBD told Variety.

“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.”

Last month a plethora of industry figures including Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem signed a pledge organized by Film Workers for Palestine vowing to avoid working with Israeli film institutions “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” Examples of “complicity” suggested by Film Workers for Palestine include “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.”

In its FAQ section, Film Workers for Palestine clarifies that Israeli citizens of Palestinian heritage would not be subject to the same boycott as Israeli citizens of other heritage, with a different set of “context sensitive” guidelines applied instead.

However law associations on both sides of the Atlantic have warned the boycott is likely to violate equality laws. As Variety reported exclusively last week, the group U.K. Lawyers for Israel has warned studios, agencies and unions that the pledge breaches the Equality Act 2010 making it “highly likely to be a litigation risk.” This could also have a knock-on effect on insurance and film finance.

The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights under Law of Washington D.C. has also cautioned that in the States “numerous federal and state civil rights laws plainly prohibit” the boycott.

Last month Paramount was the first studio to respond to the boycott, with Paramount chief communications officer Melissa Zukerman saying the studio does “not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers.”

“Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace,” Zukerman’s statement continued. “The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world. We need more engagement and communication — not less.”

Meanwhile over 1,200 film industry figures including Liev Schreiber, Mayim Bialik and Debra Messing have signed an open letter rejecting the boycott.