More than 450 Jewish creatives and professionals in Hollywood are denouncing “The Zone of Interest” director Jonathan Glazer’s speech from the 2024 Oscars.
In his speech, Glazer, 58, drew parallels between Nazi Germany and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
“We refute our Jewishness being hijacked for the purpose of drawing a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people, and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination,” the open letter, which was obtained by The Post, read.
“Every civilian death in Gaza is tragic. Israel is not targeting civilians. It is targeting Hamas,” the letter continued. “The moment Hamas releases the hostages and surrenders, is the moment this heartbreaking war ends. This has been true since the Hamas attacks of October 7th.”
“The use of words like ‘occupation’ to describe an indigenous Jewish people defending a homeland that dates back thousands of years,” the statement went on, “and has 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 a growing anti-Jewish hatred around the world, in the United States, and in Hollywood.”
“The current climate of growing antisemitism only underscores the need for the Jewish State of Israel, a place which will always take us in, as no state did during the Holocaust depicted in Mr. Glazer’s film.”
As of Monday, several high-profile Hollywood stars such as “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, per Variety.
The Post reached out to Glazer for comment.
In his acceptance speech during the award show, British Glazer stated, “Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst, it shaped all of our past and present.”
“Right now we stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people,” Glazer continued. “Whether the victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing 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 commandant of Auschwitz during World War II, and juxtaposes his home life with wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and their five children to the Holocaust happening right next door.
![ccording to Cohen, he had been repeatedly contacted by several members of the Jewish community who told him that the film was an important piece of Holocaust education but were miffed that the film was now "mixed up with what’s going on now [in Gaza], whether that was Jonathan’s intention or not to do that.”](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/zone-interest-2023-74363520_70f80d.jpg?w=1024)
On Friday, the film’s executive producer and co-financier, Danny Cohen, also condemned Glazer’s remarks.
“I just fundamentally disagree with Jonathan on this,” Cohen, 50, said on the “Unholy” podcast.
“The war and the continuation of the war is the responsibility of Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization which continues to hold and abuse the hostages, which doesn’t use its tunnels to protect the innocent civilians of Gaza but uses it to hide themselves and allow Palestinians to die,” he continued.
“It’s really important to recognize it’s upset a lot of people and a lot of people feel upset and angry about it. And I understand that anger, frankly.”
According to Cohen, he had been repeatedly contacted by several members of the Jewish community who told him that the film — which won Oscars for Best International Feature and Best Sound — was an important piece of Holocaust education, but were miffed that the film was now “mixed up with what’s going on now [in Gaza], whether that was Jonathan’s intention or not to do that.”
Cohen stated it was “regrettable” that the film was overshadowed by controversy.
“John spent 10 years making the film and has made something remarkable, but people are talking more this week about what he said for 30 seconds,” Cohen added. “And I think that’s regrettable because I’d love just the conversation that he focused on, on the film itself. So John has the right to say what he wants to say, but, you know, I don’t agree with what he said.”
![ccording to Cohen, he had been repeatedly contacted by several members of the Jewish community who told him that the film was an important piece of Holocaust education but were miffed that the film was now "mixed up with what’s going on now [in Gaza], whether that was Jonathan’s intention or not to do that.”](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/03/zone-interest-2023-74363520_70f80d.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024)