Mark Ruffalo is NOT afraid to speak out about things he’s passionate about. In addition to being very vocal in his support for Palestine , he recently spoke out against the Paramount Warner Brothers merger that’s currently being challenged in court – and because of that , he’s being accused of antisemitism. Politics aside, we aren’t going to delve into much of this, but we CAN share that we just happen to know some of Mark’s longtime friends, (from when he was an aspiring actor studying at Stella Adler in Hollywood )and guess what – they’re Jewish. Mark has spent countless Jewish holidays with them and has remained close to them for over 40 years. So whatever your beliefs are, we can say with confidence that Mark is not an antisemite.
PHOTO: Backgrid USA
Vez Libman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces ongoing corruption charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust across three distinct cases. Case 1000 (The Gifts Affair)
Case 2000: Accused of negotiating a deal with a newspaper publisher to secure more favorable media coverage i
Case 4000 (The Most Serious): Accused of using his regulatory influence to benefit a major telecom giant (Bezeq) in exchange for positive coverage on a subsidiary news site (Walla).
No anti semitism, just criminality
Anon
Antisemitic to the core. A truly vile person.
Sheesh
The ellison$ are an evil oligarchical family with no pledge to anyone but themselves and the dollar sign$. You know it’s madness when even usually morally corrupt Hwood is trying to shutdown the merger between paramount and warner, it’s a sign of the times that even they don’t want that family to grow in power. You know if you’re that disliked in the biz, it’s pretty bad.
Anonymous
Janet, I think this post misses the reason so many Jews found Mark Ruffalo’s comments deeply troubling.
The issue is not whether Mark has Jewish friends, has attended Jewish holidays, or personally believes he is antisemitic. Having Jewish friends does not make someone incapable of repeating antisemitic ideas or stereotypes.
The issue is the rhetoric itself.
When Jewish executives are singled out in a business dispute and portrayed through familiar themes of secretive power, enormous wealth, control and profiteering from death — while their connection to Israel is brought into the attack — it draws on stereotypes that have been used against Jews for centuries.
That is what people mean when they call this rhetoric antisemitic.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with criticizing Israel, its government, a corporate merger, Paramount, Warner Bros., or any individual executive. Jewish executives should be subject to the same scrutiny and criticism as anyone else. But their Jewishness or perceived relationship to Israel should not become the explanation for an ordinary business transaction, nor should centuries-old stereotypes about wealthy and powerful Jews be used to characterize them.
For Jews, this distinction matters because these aren’t merely offensive words from the distant past. The ideas that Jews secretly control institutions, manipulate governments and media, hoard wealth, or profit from the suffering of others have repeatedly been used to justify hatred and violence against us.
That’s why saying, essentially, “But Mark has Jewish friends” is so painful and beside the point. We would never accept someone’s friendships with members of another minority group as proof that something they said couldn’t possibly be prejudiced.
You don’t have to believe Mark Ruffalo hates Jewish people to acknowledge that particular language or imagery can be antisemitic. Intent and impact are not the same thing.
And Jews should be able to point that out without having our concerns dismissed because the person saying it is famous, politically sympathetic, or has Jewish friends.
When we say “Never Again,” part of what that means is recognizing these narratives when they reappear — even when they come from people we otherwise like or agree with.
Lindy Lee
Maybe he should be worried about the Indian Reservations in his country and the fact that he lives on stolen land.
Lexma
Thank you! Well said!
Lexma
A very thoughtful and comprehensive response. Thank you!
Vee
This is is not the first time he’s faced accusations of being antisemitic. Here is a link to his twitter apology for his rhetoric in 2021, which he admitted was being used to justify antisemitism (https://x.com/MarkRuffalo/status/1397023731722113032?lang=en ). I have tried to find any public statements from him condemning Hamas and its actions on Oct 7. I found none. That speaks louder to me than what religion some of his friends happen to observe.
Lexma
Perfect response! It is so exhausting to be Jewish right now.
GnarlyG
He is not antisemetic. Nor is anyone making the same argument as he is. There are plenty of Jewish people making the same argument that he is and they are NOT self-hating Jews. These smears are falling on deaf ears because people see what is going on and are asking questions. Very healthy. Don’t be bullied Mark!
Anna C. Clarke
In America it seems you can’t tell the truth anymore without being labeled an anti semite.
Even if .The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on November 21, 2024, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.The Charges Starvation: Using food shortages as a weapon against people in Gaza.Attacking Civilians: Harming innocent people on purpose.Crimes Against Humanity: Charges include murder and severe persecution.
cagey1
You can be anti genocide without ever meeting a Jewish person. Being pro-Palestine isn’t antisemetic.