Israel Legal Group Warns Studios of Potential Lawsuits over film Worker boycott
LOS ANGELES – An Israel legal advocacy group has warned netflix, Disney, Amazon Studios, Apple, Warner Bros. Discovery, the BBC, Film4, and the British Film Institute that participating in a boycott organized by Film workers for Palestine could expose them to meaningful legal and financial risks. The warning centers on potential breaches of the U.K.’s Equality Act and related implications for insurance coverage and funding access.
The letter, sent Monday, argues that adherence to the boycott – which calls for companies to cease work with Israeli entities – could be construed as discrimination under the Equality Act, possibly opening studios up to litigation.It also raises concerns that the boycott could jeopardize compliance with financial regulations, impacting access to funding and insurance. This dispute arrives as pressure mounts within the entertainment industry for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Film Workers for Palestine launched its call for a boycott in November 2023, initially garnering 1,200 signatures which quickly grew to over 5,000. Prominent signatories include Joaquin phoenix, Olivia Colman, Peter Sarsgaard, Gael García bernal, Riz Ahmed, Cynthia Nixon, Tilda Swinton, Andrew Garfield and Javier Bardem. The group’s website, workersforpalestine.org/#endingcomplicity, details its aims to end what it describes as complicity with the Israeli government.
According to the legal letter, as reported by Variety, if U.K. television and film organizations “collude with acts contrary to [the Equality Act], organizations are themselves likely to be in breach.” The letter further contends that the boycott establishes a ”risky precedent: one that condones the exclusion of individuals and organizations based solely on their nationality,ethnicity or religion.”
The advocacy group’s warning specifically cites potential issues with insurance policies being voided and access to funding being illegally barred, as financial institutions are required to maintain compliance with equality and non-discrimination standards. The studios have not yet publicly responded to the legal concerns raised.
