Rabbinic group accuses Jewish entertainers of 'whitewashing antisemitism' in Mark Ruffalo defense

FIRST ON FOX — A Rabbinic group is calling out some Jewish entertainers for "whitewashing antisemitism" by supporting actor Mark Ruffalos harsh opposition to the proposed Warner Bros. Discovery-Paramount merger.

Dozens of Jewish entertainers and artists signed a letter Tuesday "proudly" voicing support for Ruffalo after he was accused of antisemitism when criticizing the proposed $111 billion merger.

The Coalition for Jewish Values, which represents over 2,500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in American public policy, is typically silent when a Hollywood figure says something it finds hateful about Jews or Israel. But the group believes Ruffalos comments forced a group of Jewish Hollywood figures that have "little knowledge of Jewish history or the nature of antisemitism" to "deny obvious bigotry."

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"Ruffalo did not merely criticize a business deal. In an August 22 Instagram post tying the Paramount-Skydance/Warner Bros. merger to Oracle's work with Israel, Ruffalo claimed that the Ellison family — who are Jewish — were powering some of the most destructive and inhuman forces in the world, and framed a corporate transaction as built on genocide and apartheid. That is not policy criticism, but mischaracterization of civil rights for Jews and Arabs as racism, and the rescue of Jewish hostages as murder," the Coalition for Jewish Values said in a statement.

"Nonetheless, more than 170 Jewish entertainment figures rushed to sign a letter dismissing the antisemitism charge as an outrageous smear campaign. To be certain, they are entitled to their ignorant and misguided views," the statement continued. "They are not, however, entitled to be taken seriously when they engage in whitewashing antisemitism, or suggest that those with sufficient discernment to recognize the oldest of anti-Jewish tropes should deny the obvious."

The group noted that "America set itself apart from much of the world precisely by declaring hatred of Jews unwelcome, regardless of who dressed it up as righteousness," and feels "Ruffalo would do well to remember that he owes much of his career to the Founding Fathers who made America so hospitable, and the Jews who fled persecution in Europe to build new homes for their children in a friendlier land."

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"It is some of those children, working in New York in the early 20th century, who created Marvel Comics and invented The Incredible Hulk," the group said.

Rabbi Yaakov Menken, executive vice president for the group, told Fox News Digital that Ruffalo's remarks were "embarrassing" and he had a "mythical inversion" of the situation in the Middle East.

Ruffalo was accused of by Paramount after the Marvel star shared a video from August of Safra Catz, an Oracle executive vice chair and Paramount board member, discussing technology Oracle used to assist Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack.

He linked Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison, to financing behind the proposed acquisition and suggested the merger would be used to push "oppression."

"These really profoundly scary technolog