Actress Hannah Einbinder publicly defended Mark Ruffalo this week, as the actor faces accusations of antisemitism from Paramount Skydance. The controversy stems from Ruffalo linking Larry Ellison’s technology company, Oracle, to the Israeli military, in the context of Paramount’s proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).
Einbinder, known for her role in Hacks, expressed strong support for Ruffalo on Monday through a lengthy Instagram Stories message. She thanked Ruffalo for highlighting the connection between the Ellisons providing military technology to Israel and their involvement in a significant media takeover. Einbinder characterized the Paramount-WBD merger as a dangerous consolidation of power that could be used against the public.
Ruffalo had previously responded to Paramount’s accusations over the weekend, stating that calling his criticism antisemitic was appalling and dishonest. He clarified that criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, military technology contracts, or the executives supplying them is distinct from criticizing Jewish people. This statement garnered significant attention on X, with 30 million views, over 163,000 retweets, and more than 861,000 likes.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group, had criticized Ruffalo, describing his invocation of Israel as irrelevant and a textbook case of obsession and demonization. Einbinder, who is Jewish, countered these claims in her message. She dismissed the idea that Ruffalo’s comments were motivated by the Ellisons’ Jewish faith as ludicrous. She also questioned whether it would be considered antisemitic to point out that Safra Catz, an Oracle executive who spoke about technology provided to the IDF, also serves on Paramount’s board, or that Larry Ellison has supported political efforts with significant donations, or that he once offered the Israeli Prime Minister a lucrative Oracle position.
Einbinder framed the criticism as being directed at right-wing technofeudalist oligarchs engaged in the largest media acquisition in history. She asserted that people are capable of understanding these connections and that attempting to make the issue about the Ellisons’ Jewish identity is itself antisemitic. The actress also emphasized Ruffalo’s long-standing argument that opposing the merger is a fight for Hollywood’s working class, including crews and other workers who could face thousands of job losses if the deal proceeds. She concluded her message by praising Ruffalo for his willingness to speak out for oppressed people despite pressure from powerful figures.
