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Israeli Actors Face a New Bias in Hollywood; But They Are Determined to Keep Fighting
Michael Aloni as Gabriel, Hila Saada as Rosa, and Swell Ariel Or as Luna in a photo from “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem” production. Photo: Yes Studios.
“Just being Israeli in Hollywood means that ‘your existence is a political act,’” Swell Ariel Or told me during a recent conversation about her career as an actress. Swell, best known for her starring role in the Netflix hit The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, now faces a reality where casting decisions are no longer based primarily on talent or professionalism, but on her identity as an Israeli.
“If, before October 7, getting a role was 30 percent talent, 20 percent how you look, 20 percent how you sound, and 10 percent based on your previous work — like, that was the whole equation — now I feel like at least half of it is about where you come from and where you stand on the [Middle East] conflict,” she said.
Swell’s experience mirrors what many of us are seeing across creative industries. As an author and editor, I’ve seen the same bias take hold in the literary world. Jewish authors and publishers are being shut out, marginalized, or blacklisted based on their support for Israel or their Jewish identity. Like the author community, Swell’s strategy for overcoming this bias involves creating “more connections with Jews or allies in the industry,” she said.
Or’s new film, Kissufim, directed by Keren Nechmad and now streaming on Netflix, is set in 1977 and follows the lives of young Israeli soldiers and volunteers living on a kibbutz near the Gaza Strip. The film, inspired by Nechmad’s personal connection to the kibbutz through her father, captures a moment of youthful idealism as the characters experience love, friendship, and the challenges of coming of age. Against the backdrop of post-Yom Kippur War Israel, Kissufim explores the tension between the personal and political, highlighting the characters’ struggles with the trauma of war and the hope for peace.
Tragically, many of the current residents of the real-life Kibbutz Kissufim, where much of the movie was shot, were among the victims of the October 7 terrorist attacks. Swell and the film’s cast and crew had worked closely with members of the kibbutz during production, forming bonds with many who later lost their lives. The crew had received security briefings from local residents before filming, some of whom were later killed in the attacks.
Still, Swell believes that Kissufim has the potential to educate US audiences about the idealistic foundations of Israel, particularly through the lens of kibbutzim. She expressed concern that many, especially anti-Israel activists, mistakenly view kibbutzim as “right-wing, illegal settlements, extremists,” when in reality, they are communities of “people of peace” who want to “work the land” and have historically been strong advocates for Israeli-Palestinian cooperation.
The film aims to humanize Israelis by depicting the daily lives of kibbutz residents.
When I first interviewed Swell last year, just after the October 7 attacks, she was starting to use her platform on Instagram to raise awareness about Israel and combat antisemitism. Now, nearly a year later, I asked her how those efforts were going. While she sees some progress, the situation is still tough. “I feel like it’s getting better a little bit,” she said, but quickly added, “It’s not good yet.”
Swell explained that her approach on social media is not about directly confronting or trying to persuade people who hold anti-Israel views. “My goal is not to convince them,” she said. “It’s to make them think about a more complex situation.”
She wants her followers to see the humanity in Israelis and to understand that their experiences are not so different from people around the world.
“What’s the difference between the Nova Festival and Coachella?” she asked, highlighting the similarities between Israeli and American youth cultures to bridge the gap in understanding. She hopes to expand perspectives and dispel myths about Israel, particularly for younger audiences who may have only been exposed to negative portrayals of the country.
Swell also addressed an open letter signed by more than 200 actors and celebrities, including people like Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, and Dua Lipa, urging President Biden to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. She noted that while the hostages were mentioned, there was nothing about the horrors of October 7.
What would she like to say to her fellow actors? “I wish I could talk to them, just like have coffee and talk,” she said.
Swell noted that every time she returns to Israel, she disconnects from the Hollywood world to reconnect with her roots. But now that she’s back in Los Angeles, she’s ready to resume the fight against antisemitism in whatever way she can.
As for upcoming projects, Swell is waiting to see where Kissufim takes her career, and whether it opens new doors. She’s also hopeful for potential future seasons of The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, though she didn’t have any concrete updates. “Hopefully, I’ll be back home soon with a project or a next season of something,” she said.
Swell remains determined to pursue her acting career despite the challenges Israeli actors face in Hollywood. “I’m still fighting and going to auditions because I feel like it’s a trend and it’ll pass,” she said. “I think that I believe in the goodness of people.”
I’ve interviewed many authors who were blackballed for their Jewish or Zionist identities. Their solution has been to find allies, build new networks, and most of all, keep writing. Swell is doing the same. Like those authors, she won’t let the haters win.
Howard Lovy is an author and editor based in Michigan who is working on a book on how to fight antisemitism. His novel, “Found and Lost: The Jake and Cait Story,” will be released in 2025 from Vine Leaves Press.
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US State Department Revokes Visas of UK Punk Rap Act Bob Vylan Amid Outrage Over Duo’s Chants of ‘Death to the IDF’
Bob Vylan music duo performance at Glastonbury Festival (Source: FLIKR)
The US State Department has revoked the visas for the English punk rap duo Bob Vylan amid ongoing outrage over their weekend performance at the Glastonbury Festival, in which the pair chanted “Death to the IDF.”
The State Department’s decision to cancel their visas would preclude a planned fall concert tour of the US by the British rappers.
“The [US State Department] has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants. Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X/Twitter on Monday.
During a June 28 set at Glastonbury Festival, Bob Vylan’s Pascal Robinson-Foster ignited a firestorm by leading the crowd in chants of “Death, death, to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces. He also complained about working for a “f—ing Zionist” during the set.
The video of the performance went viral, sparking outrage across the globe.
The BBC, which streamed the performance live, issued an on‑screen warning but continued its broadcast, prompting criticism by government officials for failing to cut the feed.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and festival organizers condemned the IDF chant as hate speech and incitement to violence. The Israeli Embassy in London denounced the language as “inflammatory and hateful.”
“Millions of people tuned in to enjoy Glastonbury this weekend across the BBC’s output but one performance within our livestreams included comments that were deeply offensive,” the BBC said in a statement following the event.
“These abhorrent chants, which included calls for the death of members of the Israeli Defense Forces … have no place in any civil society,” Leo Terrell, Chair of the US Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, declared Sunday in a statement posted on X.
Citing the act’s US tour plans, Terrell said his task force would be “reaching out to the U.S. Department of State on Monday to determine what measures are available to address the situation and to prevent the promotion of violent antisemitic rhetoric in the United States.”
British authorities, meanwhile, have launched a formal investigation into Bob Vylan’s controversial appearance at Glastonbury. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed they are reviewing footage and working with the Crown Prosecution Service to determine whether the performance constitutes a hate crime or incitement to violence.
United Talent Agency (UTA), one of the premier entertainment talent agencies, dropped the duo, claming “antisemitic sentiments expressed by the group were utterly unacceptable.”
The band defended their performance on social media as necessary protest, stating that “teaching our children to speak up for the change they want and need is the only way that we make this world a better place.”
The post US State Department Revokes Visas of UK Punk Rap Act Bob Vylan Amid Outrage Over Duo’s Chants of ‘Death to the IDF’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Dem House Leader Hakeem Jeffries Urges Mamdani to ‘Aggressively Address’ Antisemitism in NYC if Elected Mayor
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
US House Democratic leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY) urged Democratic nominee for mayor of New York Zohran Mamdani to “aggressively address the rise in antisemitism” if he wins the general election in November.
“‘Globalizing the intifada’ by way of example is not an acceptable phrasing,” Jeffries said Sunday on ABC’s This Week. “He’s going to have to clarify his position on that as he moves forward.”
“With respect to the Jewish communities that I represent, I think our nominee is going to have to convince folks that he is prepared to aggressively address the rise in antisemitism in the city of New York, which has been an unacceptable development,” he added.
Jeffries’s comments come as Mamdani has been receiving an onslaught of criticism for defending the controversial phrase “globalize the intifada.”
Mamdani first defended the phrase during an appearance on the popular Bulwark Podcast. The progressive firebrand stated that he feels “less comfortable with the banning of certain words.” He invoked the US Holocaust Museum in his defense, saying that the museum used the word intifada “when translating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising into Arabic, because it’s a word that means ‘struggle.’”
The Holocaust Museum repudiated Mamdani in a statement, calling his comments “offensive.”
Mamdani has continued to defend the slogan despite ongoing criticism, arguing that pro-Palestine advocates perceive it as a call for “universal human rights.”
Mamdani, the 33‑year‑old state assembly member and proud democratic socialist, defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other candidates in a lopsided first‑round win in the city’s Democratic primary for mayor, notching approximately 43.5 percent of first‑choice votes compared to Cuomo’s 36.4 percent.
The election results have alarmed members of the local Jewish community, who expressed deep concern over his past criticism of Israel and defense of antisemitic rhetoric.
“Mamdani’s election is the greatest existential threat to a metropolitan Jewish population since the election of the notorious antisemite Karl Lueger in Vienna,” Rabbi Marc Schneier, one of the most prominent Jewish leaders in New York City, said in a statement. “Jewish leaders must come together as a united force to prevent a mass Jewish Exodus from New York City.”
Some key Democratic leaders in New York, such as US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul, have congratulated and complimented Mamdani, but have not yet issued an explicit endorsement. Each official has signaled interest in meeting with Mamdani prior to making a decision on a formal endorsement.
The post Dem House Leader Hakeem Jeffries Urges Mamdani to ‘Aggressively Address’ Antisemitism in NYC if Elected Mayor first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Eyes Ties With Syria and Lebanon After Iran War
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attends a press conference with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (not pictured) in Berlin, Germany, June 5, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Christian Mang
Israel is interested in establishing formal diplomatic relations with long-standing adversaries Syria and Lebanon, but the status of the Golan Heights is non-negotiable, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Monday.
Israeli leaders argue that with its rival Iran weakened by this month’s 12-day war, other countries in the region have an opportunity to forge ties with Israel.
The Middle East has been upended by nearly two years of war in Gaza, during which Israel also carried out airstrikes and ground operations in Lebanon targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah, and by the overthrow of former Syrian leader and Iran ally Bashar al-Assad.
In 2020, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco became the first Arab states to establish ties with Israel since Jordan in 1994 and Egypt in 1979. The normalization agreements with Israel were deeply unpopular in the Arab world.
“We have an interest in adding countries such as Syria and Lebanon, our neighbors, to the circle of peace and normalization, while safeguarding Israel‘s essential and security interests,” Saar said at a press conference in Jerusalem.
“The Golan will remain part of the State of Israel,” he said.
Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981 after capturing the territory from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War. While much of the international community regards the Golan as occupied Syrian land, US President Donald Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over it during his first term in office.
Following Assad’s ousting, Israeli forces moved further into Syrian territory.
A senior Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Syria would never give up the Golan Heights, describing it as an integral part of Syrian territory.
The official also said that normalization efforts with Israel must be part of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and not carried out through a separate track.
A spokesperson for Syria‘s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The 2002 initiative proposed Arab normalization with Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from territories including the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and Gaza. It also called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Throughout the war in Gaza, regional power Saudi Arabia has repeatedly said that establishing ties with Israel was conditional on the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
Israel‘s Saar said it was “not constructive” for other states to condition normalization on Palestinian statehood.
“Our view is that a Palestinian state will threaten the security of the State of Israel,” he said.
In May, Reuters reported that Israel and Syria‘s new Islamist rulers had established direct contact and held face-to-face meetings aimed at de-escalating tensions and preventing renewed conflict along their shared border.
The same month, US President Donald Trump announced the US would lift sanctions on Syria and met Syria‘s new president, urging him to normalize ties with Israel.
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