Mark Ruffalo Rejects Paramount Antisemitism Charge Over Merger Criticism

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Actor Mark Ruffalo rejected Paramount's accusation of antisemitism, calling the charge appalling and fundamentally dishonest. Ruffalo stated, "Criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticizing the Jewish people." Paramount accused Ruffalo of invoking antisemitic tropes in a business dispute, stating that words like genocide and apartheid applied to a corporate transaction are a bridge too far. The feud began after Ruffalo criticized a potential $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. Ruffalo posted on Instagram about the ties between David Ellison’s source of capital for the acquisition and his father Larry Ellison’s company Oracle’s role in developing technology used by Israel. Larry Ellison co-founded Oracle and owns Paramount with his son, David Ellison, who is Paramount’s CEO. Ruffalo reposted a video of Oracle’s executive vice chair Safra Catz discussing really profoundly scary technologies provided to the Israeli military after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. He captioned the video, "Look how she revels in what we now have come to see as a genocide, which was built on an apartheid system of oppression powered by Oracle." A dozen state attorneys general, including California’s, are challenging the merger. Critics warn the deal could create a behemoth with outsized power and cost 4,500 jobs. Paramount Skydance representatives are reportedly meeting Monday with the California attorney general's office to discuss a potential settlement. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the acquisition would require robust structural remedies. Paramount previously agreed to delay the acquisition to as late as June 2027 due to the legal challenge, with a trial set for March. If the deal is delayed beyond September 30, Paramount will owe Warner Bros.

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