Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has publicly opposed calls to boycott Israeli film institutions, stating that such actions would breach the company's internal anti-discrimination policies.
"Warner Bros Discovery is committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment for its employees, collaborators, and other stakeholders," a company spokesperson explained.
"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."
The statement comes in response to a growing movement among artistes and filmmakers calling for a boycott of Israeli cultural institutions. Last month, a group called Film Workers for Palestine launched a pledge urging industry professionals to avoid collaborating with Israeli film bodies "implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."
The petition, signed by over a hundred high-profile figures including Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Javier Bardem, accuses Israeli institutions of "whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them."
However, legal experts have warned that signing or enforcing such a boycott could carry legal risks. The UK Lawyers for Israel recently cautioned that the pledge violates the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination based on nationality or ethnicity, making it "highly likely to be a litigation risk." Similar concerns have been echoed by the Louis D Brandeis Centre for Human Rights Under Law in Washington, DC, which noted that "numerous federal and state civil rights laws plainly prohibit" such boycotts in the United States.
Beyond legal implications, industry observers say the controversy exposes deep divisions within the global film community over how to balance political activism and cultural engagement.
Paramount Pictures was the first major studio to publicly reject the boycott. Paramount's chief communications officer Melissa Zukerman, stated, "We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers." She added, "Silencing individual creative artistes based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace. The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artistes to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world. We need more engagement and communication — not less."
Meanwhile, more than 1,200 film industry figures, including Liev Schreiber, Mayim Bialik, and Debra Messing, have signed an open letter rejecting the boycott, arguing that dialogue and artistic collaboration are more effective pathways toward understanding and coexistence.
The "Film Workers for Palestine" group, however, maintains that its campaign targets institutions, not individuals, and specifies that Israeli citizens of Palestinian heritage would be exempt from the boycott under "context-sensitive" guidelines.
Still, the industry's major players — from studios to unions — are treading carefully amid the rising tensions, wary of potential legal exposure and reputational fallout. For now, Warner Bros Discovery's firm stance signals Hollywood's broader reluctance to engage in politically driven cultural boycotts, choosing instead to reaffirm its commitment to inclusivity and open artistic exchange.