Hollywood A-lister Mark Ruffalo’s response to Paramount’s antisemitism accusation has been widely shared on social media, with users praising the actor for standing by his criticism of the proposed Warner Bros merger and his comments on Oracle’s role in Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Ruffalo pushed back after Paramount accused him of invoking antisemitic tropes while criticising the merger and his comments about Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, saying the accusation was “appalling and fundamentally dishonest.”
The response has drawn support from users online, with one writing, “Mark Ruffalo will forever be safe in my hood”. Another said, “that’s my hulk”.
“All countries can be criticized but one” another user wrote.
One user posted, “Paramount watching Mark Ruffalo turn a standard movie studio merger protest into an international investigation of Oracle military contracts in 15 seconds”
Another wrote, “The Zionists b**tards at paramount literally donate the most to the IDF and said that the merger will be beneficial for Israel. Mark ruffalo is 100% correct he didn’t lie about a thing or exaggerate”
One person supported Ruffalo’s criticism of the merger, writing, “He’s completely correct. Merger after merger after merger consolidates the industry and destroys thousands of lives.”
Another wrote, “MarkRuffalo is right. Fk the Ellisons, fk Paramount, f**k Oracle.”
Some comments reacted more casually, with one posting, “We need more Hulk movies asap”.
One account criticised Oracle, writing, “Oracle destroyed TikTok – they will destroy anything it owns – Mark is right !! Boycott Oracle is the only way to starve it !!!”
Another said, “Who gives a shit what Paramount said. They’ve outed themselves as genocide supporters.” One more wrote, “Just love watching my goat pop-off”
The dispute began after Ruffalo reshared a post by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, a Palestinian-led campaign opposing Israel’s occupation.
The post featured Oracle Executive Vice Chair Safra Catz discussing the company’s support for Israel following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Catz said that Oracle had taken steps to assist the Israeli military that she could not fully discuss, referring to advanced technology made available for that purpose.
BDS accused Oracle of being “complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity including apartheid and genocide against Palestinians.”
Ruffalo shared the post on Instagram and criticised Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, whose son David Ellison is behind Skydance Media’s acquisition of Paramount Global.
Ruffalo argued that Larry Ellison was “using [Oracle] to fund his son David’s Warner Bros acquisition” and warned that the technologies discussed by Catz could eventually become part of one of the world’s largest media conglomerates.
He also opposed the proposed merger, saying it could lead to job losses, higher cable costs and less competition in the film industry.
Paramount responded by saying it was “troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute.”
“Words like ‘genocide’ and ‘apartheid,’ applied to a corporate transaction, aren’t just wrong they’re a bridge too far, and they cheapen the very real suffering those words are meant to describe,” Paramount said.
The company added that it did not tolerate prejudice of any kind.
Ruffalo responded on X on Saturday, saying that criticising “the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract, or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticizing Jewish people.”
He also said that the merger “has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country.”
Ruffalo argued that examining the Ellisons’ business interests, including Oracle’s work involving data, surveillance technology and government contracts, was “fair and necessary.”
