U.S. actor Mark Ruffalo has rejected Paramount Skydance’s accusation that his criticism of Oracle’s role in Israel’s war on Gaza invoked antisemitic tropes.
"The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest,” Ruffalo wrote Saturday on U.S. social media company on X.
The actor said criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a military technology agreement or executives involved in supplying such technology should not be equated with hostility toward Jewish people.
Ruffalo said his position reflected his political convictions and stressed that he had "deep love and respect” for Jewish people.
The dispute began after Ruffalo shared a video of former Oracle chief executive Safra Catz discussing technologies developed by the company for the Israeli military following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks.
Ruffalo accused Oracle of providing technology used during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and questioned the company’s connections to Paramount Skydance’s proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is the father of Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison and is helping finance the proposed transaction.
Paramount responded by accusing Ruffalo of invoking antisemitic tropes during a public policy debate and described his comments as inappropriate and offensive.
Ruffalo maintained that his criticism was directed at corporate conduct, political decisions and the concentration of media power rather than the Ellison family’s Jewish identity.
He also reiterated his opposition to the acquisition, arguing that combining the two media companies could threaten editorial independence, eliminate jobs and concentrate excessive influence over news and entertainment in the hands of one company.
The proposed merger would combine Paramount’s film studio, CBS, Paramount+ and other networks with Warner Bros. Discovery assets, including Warner Bros., CNN, HBO and HBO Max.
The transaction is facing an antitrust lawsuit filed by California and 11 other U.S. states.
The states argue that the merger would reduce competition in film distribution and cable television, potentially leading to higher prices, fewer productions and job losses.
Paramount and Warner Bros. agreed to the proposed transaction in February.
