Is Mark Ruffalo Antisemitic? Actor Calls Accusation 'Appalling' While Torching $111 Billion Merger

Mark Ruffalo, the Oscar-nominated actor best known for playing the Hulk, has rejected claims of antisemitism after being critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ruffalo has been in the headlines but not for his latest film 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' which recently reached $2.2 billion (£1.6 billion) at the worldwide box office.

Instead, Ruffalo became the centre of a controversy after Paramount suggested his remarks crossed into antisemitic territory. The actor had criticised the studio's planned $111 billion (£81.4 billion) merger with Warner Bros. 'The accusation that I am antisemitic is appalling and fundamentally dishonest,' Ruffalo said on social media.

Mark Ruffalo's Response on Social Media

'Criticizing 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. This critical and necessary dialogue is then dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel,' said Ruffalo on X.

He continued: 'To be clear, my views come from my own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people, for whom I have deep love and respect. Everything I know about acting, activism, and humanism has been profoundly shaped by the Jewish friends, colleagues, and loved ones who have been integral and family throughout every point of my life.'

Ruffalo's tweet quicky gained traction, reaching 31 million views , 864,000 likes, 163,000 retweets, 41,000 bookmarks and more than 19,000 comments. His 7.8 million followers amplified his message, making it one of the most discussed tweets of the summer.

The Oscar-nominated actor was reacting to a Paramount statement issued against him. 'We are, as always, 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 in a statement.

Criticism Over the $111bn Merger

The studio's reaction stemmed from Ruffalo's Instagram story on 21 August 2026, criticising the merger, and highlighted Oracle's role in financing part of the investment. Oracle sells technology to Israel, which the actor said is used in the Gaza genocide. Ruffalo is among the few Hollywood actors who are loudly critical of the humanitarian issues in Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas War.

Ruffalo, who has 20.5 million Instagram followers, shared a video where Oracle Executive Vice Chair Safra Catz discussed the technology that Israel used following the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks. David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance, is the son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison.

In the now-expired Instagram story, Ruffalo said: 'These really profoundly scary technologies will most likely be merged into one of the largest media conglomerates in the world and one day used on you... 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.'

On X, the actor clarified: 'This merger has real consequences for real people, and for the entire country. Scrutinizing the Ellisons, including Oracle's business built on data, surveillance technology and government contracts, and the serious threat to editorial freedom and the loss of a livelihood for thousands of families, is fair and necessary.'

Many have called Ruffalo a 'real Avenger' for not mincing words in his criticism of the Gaza War. The 'Avengers: Secret Wars' actor has called for a stop to the merger, which has a 30 September 2026 deadline.