On Monday, a host of Hollywood A-listers came together to announce their collective boycott of Israeli film institutions and companies that are ‘implicated in genocide and apartheid against Palestinian people.’

This list, compromising more than 1200 film artists and industry professionals, includes prominent names likes Emma Stone, Ayo Edebiri, Olivia Colman and Mark Ruffalo among many others. 

These artists released a pledge statement to declare their stand against all companies implicated in the apartheid. “As filmmakers, actors, film industry workers and institutions, we recognize the power of cinema to shape perceptions. In this urgent moment of crisis, where many of our governments are enabling the carnage in Gaza, we must do everything we can to address complicity in that unrelenting horror,” part of the statement read.

Some of the other notable artists part of this pledge are Adam McKay, Asif Kapadia, Ava DuVernay, Javier Bardem, Josh O’Connor, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, and Yorgos Lanthimos. According to the organizers, the mass declaration is inspired by Filmmakers United Against Apartheid, founded in 1987 to demand that the U.S. film industry refuse to distribute films in apartheid South Africa. Artists like Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme were part of the foundation then. 

The release of the pledge statement was followed by an official response from Israeli Producers Association who stated to The Guardian, “The signatories of this petition are targeting the wrong people. For decades, we Israeli artists, storytellers, and creators have been the primary voices allowing audiences to hear and witness the complexity of the conflict, including Palestinian narratives and criticism of Israeli state policies.” The statement continued, “This call for a boycott is profoundly misguided. We will not allow this and will push back in our efforts to end violence and bring just peace to our region for the benefit of all.”