Entertainment Leaders Call on Celebrities and Influencers to Stop Spreading Misinformation about Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

LOS ANGELES, May 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 130 leaders from the entertainment industry have signed a joint statement released by the non-profit entertainment industry organization Creative Community For Peace calling on fellow entertainers and executives to use their platforms to combat misleading and one-sided accounts of the conflict in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The open letter urges those in the entertainment community to use their voice to call for the de-escalation of violence and the end to divisive rhetoric while also acknowledging the pain and loss impacting all parties involved in the conflict.

The joint statement comes amid a wave of violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, including indiscriminate rocket attacks targeting metropolitan areas throughout Israel as well as Israel's retaliatory response in Gaza.

Gene Simmons (Artist/KISS), Sherry Lansing (Former CEO of Paramount Pictures), Michael Bublé (Artist), Haim Saban (Chairman & CEO, Saban Capital Group), Meghan McCain (Co-Host, The View),  Orly Agai Marley (President, Tuff Gong Worldwide), David Draiman (Frontman, Disturbed), Selma Blair (Actress), Diane Warren (Songwriter, Producer), and Ben Silverman (Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Propagate Content) are among nearly 130 signers of the joint statement, which was made public Friday.

"We are deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories," the statement reads. "The loss of life and violence is heartbreaking. We call on the leaders of all parties to end the violence, urge calm, and work toward de-escalation."

The statement's signers are among the first in the entertainment industry to publicly promote peace while also opposing a surge of deceptive media narratives that have dominated the news cycle since tensions escalated nearly a week ago.

"We also call on our colleagues and friends in the entertainment community to stop posting misinformation and one-sided narratives that only work to inflame the conflict instead of bringing about peace," the statement continues.

"Misinformed and fallacious memes being posted by those far away from the conflict are being taken for truth," said Ari Ingel, Director of Creative Community for Peace. "This distorted version of reality is being spread online and then amplified by influencers, which only fans the flames of hatred and has real life consequences."

Creative Community for Peace aims to promote the arts as a means for peace while fighting antisemitism in the entertainment industry and on prominent media platforms. To learn more about their cause, visit www.creativecommunityforpeace.com.

FULL STATEMENT

We are deeply concerned by the escalating violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The loss of life and violence is heartbreaking. We call on the leaders of all parties to end the violence, urge calm, and work toward de-escalation.

We also call on our colleagues and friends in the entertainment community to stop posting misinformation and one-sided narratives that only work to inflame the conflict instead of bringing about peace.

While we may have differing opinions on the conflict, it is never okay for Hamas to publicly call for the killing of civilians, use civilians as human shields, and rain down missiles indiscriminately on civilian populations with no care about who is killed—Arab or Jew.

When lives are at stake, we all bear responsibility to unite rather than divide. Incendiary language only benefits those at the extremes who have no interest in peace. Our thoughts are with all Israelis and Palestinians who are experiencing unfathomable levels of fear and violence, and hope for the day when both peoples can live side by side in peace.

SIGNATORIES

Jason Adelman: Vice President, Brand Innovators
Marty Adelstein: CEO, Tomorrow Studios
Michael Adler: Partner of Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, Feldman & Clark.
Jeff Astrof: Television Producer
Moran Atias: Actress
Eve Barlow: Music Journalist
Jonathan Baruch: Rain Management Group
Richard Baskind: Partner & Head of Music, Simons Muirhead & Burton
Aton Ben-Horin: Global Vice President of A&R for Warner Music Group
Miles Beard: SVP of A&R at APG
Pablo Bendersky: Producer/Artist
Steven  Bensusan: President, Blue Note Entertainment Group
Adam Berkowitz: Founder and President, Lenore Entertainment Group
Sharon Bialy: Bialy Thomas and Associates
Josh Binder: Partner, Rotherberg, Mohr, and Binder LLP
Todd Black: Film Producer
Neil Blair: Partner, The Blair Partnership
Selma Blair: Actress
Jared Bloch: Attorney, Felker, Toczek, Suddleson, & Abramson LLP
Evan Bogart: Songwriter & Co-Founder of Boardwalk Entertainment Group
Ruth Bornhauser: Thruline Entertainment
Josh Brill: Music Journalist
Michael Bublé: Artist
David Byrnes:   Partner at Ziffren, Brittenham, LLP
Aaron Cohen: Actor
Markell Casey:  Senior Director, Creative, PULSE Music Group
Brian Celler: Bravo Charlie Management
Emmanuelle Chriqui: Actress, Activist
Raye Cosbert: Metropolis Music. Managing Director of Metropolis Music
Ivory Daniel: President, Regime Management
Josh Deutsch:  Chairman/CEO - Premier Music Group
Kosha Dillz: Artist, Rapper
David Draiman: Frontman of Disturbed
David Sacks: Executive Producer, Never Give Up Productions
Craig Emanuel: Partner, Paul Hastings LLC
Ron Fair: Record Producer & CEO, Faircraft Inc.
Sharon Farber: Composer
Daniel Federman: Owner, Maccabi Tel Aviv
Patti Felker: Partner, Felker, Toczek, Suddleson, & Abramson LLP
Ken Fermaglich: United Talent Agency
Marc Fineman: Founder and President FINE Group
Bryan Freedman: Freedman & Taitelman, LLP
Josh Fluxgold: President One Way MGMT
Erica Forster: VP of music partnerships at DanceOn
Gary Foster: Principal in Krasnoff Foster Productions
Daryl Friedman: The Recording Academy / GRAMMYs on the Hill Chief Advocacy & Industry Relations Officer
David Gardner: President, Artists First
Stephen Gates: Founder and Partner Ellipsis Entertainment Group
Andrew Genger: Red Light Management
Gary Gersh: President, Global Touring, A.E.G.
Gary Ginsberg: Senior VP, SoftBank Group Corp.
Karen Glauber: President, HITS Magazine
David Glick: Founder & CEO, Edge Group, & Chairman, Tap Music
Michael Glouberman: Television Writer and Producer
Elon Gold: Actor, Comedian
Richard Goldgewicht: Director
Alistair Goldsmith: Manager, Chosen Music
Michael Goldwasser: Record Producer & President/Co-Founder of Easy Star Records
Mitchell Gossett: Industry Entertainment Partners
Andrew Gould: EVP Music Publishing, Roc Nation
Trudy Green: Trudy Green Management/HK
Scott Greenberg: Manager and Partner at LBI Entertainment
Marc Hamou: Manager/Partner, Thruline Entertainment
Ronnie Harris:  Partner, Harris & Trotter LLP
Jo Hart: Founder, Hart Media
Neil Jacobson: Founder of Hallwood Media
Max Jacoby: Director of Development, 87North
Barry Jossen: President & Head, A+E Studios
Declan Joyce: Actor
Zach Katz: President of Raised In Space
Lee Kern: Writer, Comedian, Actor
Scott Kluge: President, Tremendous Entertainment
Amanda Kogan: Agent, The Gersh Agency
Walter Kolm: CEO, W.K. Entertainment
Rick Krim: Co-Founder, Worldwired Music
Matt Labov: Manager/Publicist
Sherry Lansing: Former CEO of Paramount Pictures
Estelle Lasher: Lasher Group
Colin Lester: CEO, JEM Artists
David Levy: Former President of Turner/WarnerMedia, Founder of Back Nine Ventures
David Levy: Partner, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
David Lonner: CEO, The David Lonner Co.
Jordan Lonner: Talent Agent, UTA
Ben Maddahi: SVP A&R, Columbia Records
Gabriel Mann: Composer/Producer
Susan  Markheim: Full Stop Management, The Azoff Company
Orly Agai Marley: President, Tuff Gong Worldwide
Nancy   Matalon: VP of A&R, Spirit Music Group
Matisyahu: Artist
Meghan McCain: Co-Host, The View
William Mercer: Thruline Entertainment
David Nimmer: Attorney
Leetal Nissenbaum: VP of Synchronization and Licensing - Ultra Records
Lisa Nupoff: Manager, IMIN Music
Mandi Perkins: Artist, Songwriter, Producer
Mike Praw       
David Renzer: Former Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Publishing
Bourn Rich: Social Justice Street Artist, Clothing Designer
Rachel Riley: Television Host
Lindy Robbins: Songwriter
Jaimison M. Roberts: Attorney at Law
Hanna Rochelle: Founder & President, Lyric Culture
Dan Rosen: President of Warner Music Australasia
Michael Rotenberg: Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment
Haim Saban: Chairman and CEO, Saban Capital Group
Nancy Sanders: Partner,Thruline Entertainment
Paul Schindler: Senior Chair of the New York Entertainment and Media Practice
Steve Schnur: President of Music, Electronic Arts
Jordan Schnur: CEO, Mimran Schur Pictures
Sam Schwartz: Partner, Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency
Adam Schweitzer: ICM Partners
Eric Senat: Film Producer
Camila Seta: Marketing & Content Strategy at Rogers & Cowan
Alan Siegel: G-BASE     
Ben Silverman: Chairman and CEO of Propagate Content
Gene Simmons: Artist/KISS
Ralph Simon: Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Mobilium Global Limited
Marty Singer: Attorney, Lavely and Singer
Jeff Sosnow: EVP A&R Warner Bros. Records
Donna  Spievak: Director of Strategic Marketing - Interscope Records
Jonathan Steinsapir: Partner · Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP
Gary Stiffelman: Founder, GSS Law
Aaron Symonds: Film Composer
Traci Szymanski: President, Co-Star Entertainment/Isrealife Media Group
Alona Tal: Singer, Actress
Adam Taylor: President, APM Music
Nina Tassler: Co-Founder/Partner, PatMa Productions
Noa Tishby: Author, Producer, Actor
Fred Toczek: Partner, Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson LLP
Jonathan Tropper: Screenwriter, Author, Producer
Jonathan Tucker: Actor
Jeremy Vuernick: Executive VP of A&R
Diane Warren:  Songwriter, Producer
Jon Weinbach: Executive Vice-President of Mandalay Sports Media
Nola Weinstein : Twitter, Global Head of Culture & Experiential
Ron West: Partner, Thruline Entertainment
Evan Winiker: Managing Partner, Range Media
Jeffrey Winter:  Executive Director, The Film Collaborative
Sharon Tal Yguado: Founder & CEO, Astrid Entertainment

** Note - The signers of this statement do so as individuals on their own behalf and not on behalf of their companies or organizations. All organizations and companies listed are for affiliation purposes only.

ABOUT CREATIVE COMMUNITY FOR PEACE:

Founded by entertainment industry executives, Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) is a non-profit organization comprised of prominent members of the entertainment industry who have come together to promote the arts as a means to peace, to counter antisemitism within the entertainment industry, and to galvanize support against the cultural boycott of Israel. CCFP is apolitical and does not stand for any government official or party. Instead, CCFP believes in artists and their ability to affect lives and effect positive change in the world. For more information please visit: creativecommunityforpeace.com

SOURCE Creative Community for Peace

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