Jewish Hollywood Stars Write Open Letter to ‘Zone of Interest’ Director Jonathan Glazer

Awards

By Jack Hobbs

More than 450 Jewish creatives and professionals in Hollywood denounce the speech of the director of “The Interest Zone”, Jonathan Glazer, at the 2024 Oscars.

In his speech, Glazer, 58, drew parallels between Nazi Germany and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

“We reject that our Judaism is hijacked in order to establish a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a human race and an Israeli nation that seeks to prevent its own extermination,” said the open letter, which was obtained by The Postread.

“Every civilian death in Gaza is tragic. Israel is not attacking civilians. “You are targeting Hamas,” the letter continues. “The moment Hamas releases the hostages and surrenders will be the moment this heartbreaking war ends. “This has been true since the Hamas attacks of October 7.”

“The use of words like ‘occupation’ to describe an indigenous Jewish people defending a homeland that dates back thousands of years,” the statement continued. “And having been recognized as a State by the United Nations distorts history.”

In conclusion, the letter stated that Glazer’s speech “gives credence to the modern blood libel that fuels growing anti-Jewish hatred around the world, in the United States and in Hollywood.”

“The current climate of growing anti-Semitism only underscores the need for the Jewish State of Israel, a place that will always welcome us, as no state did during the Holocaust depicted in Mr. Glazer’s film.”

As of Monday, several high-profile Hollywood stars, including “Will & Grace” alum Debra Messing, Tovah Feldshuh, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julianna Margulies, “Stranger Things” star Brett Gelman and directors Eli Roth and Rod Lurie signed the letter. by variety.

The Post has contacted Glazer for comment.

In its acceptance speech During the awards ceremony, Glazer stated: “Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst; “It shaped our entire past and present.”

“Right now we stand here as men refuting their Judaism and the Holocaust held hostage by an occupation that has driven so many innocent people into conflict,” Glazer continued. “Whether it is the victims of October 7 in Israel or the current attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?”

Glazer’s speech was met with thunderous applause from the star-studded crowd.

The film tells the story of Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), the Nazi officer and commander of Auschwitz during World War II, and juxtaposes his home life with his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and their five children with the Holocaust occurring right next door. side.

On Friday, the film’s executive producer and co-financier Danny Cohen also condemned Glazer’s comments.

“I fundamentally disagree with Jonathan on this,” Cohen, 50, said in the “Ungodly” Podcast.”

“The war and the continuation of the war is the responsibility of Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization that continues to hold and abuse hostages, that uses its tunnels not to protect the innocent civilians of Gaza, but to hide and allow the Palestinians die,” he continued.

“It’s really important to recognize that this upsets a lot of people and a lot of people are upset and angry about it. And I understand that anger frankly.”

According to Cohen, several members of the Jewish community had contacted him repeatedly and told him that the film, which won awards for Best International Film and Best Sound, was an important piece of Holocaust education, but they were upset that the film was now “Mixed in with what’s happening now (in Gaza), whether that was Jonathan’s intention or not.”

Cohen said it was “unfortunate” that the film was overshadowed by controversy.

“John spent 10 years making the movie and has done something extraordinary, but people are talking more this week about what he said for 30 seconds,” Cohen added. “And I think that’s unfortunate because I would love the conversation that he focused on, in the movie itself. So John has the right to say whatever he wants to say, but, you know, I don’t agree with what he said.”