Creator of Israeli series "Fauda" criticizes Mark Ruffalo's Gaza comments

Avi Issacharoff, who co-created the Israeli political thriller "Fauda," said the Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo was "ignorant" and "stupid" for repeatedly labeling the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza as genocide. Issacharoff made the remarks during a panel in London, questioning whether Ruffalo understood the term and noting that Israel allows daily deliveries of food and supplies to Gaza. He argued that the only party seeking genocide, in his view, was Hamas.

Ruffalo, who has been vocal about the conflict and recently criticized a Paramount board member on Instagram, described the accusation of genocide as "appalling and fundamentally dishonest." Paramount responded to Ruffalo's post by calling it antisemitic, prompting open letters from both supporters and critics of the actor.

During a Jewish News event for the Tel Aviv University Trust, Issacharoff added that even many Jews do not share Ruffalo's perspective, suggesting that some critics simply enjoy opposing Israel. He acknowledged that changing such views would require a larger shift in public understanding, but expressed optimism that broader awareness would eventually reduce reliance on slogans and misinformation.