Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt came to Sacha Baron Cohen’s defense earlier this week amid calls to boycott his film, “Ali G: Who Iz I?”
“No artist should be pressured, blacklisted or silenced over their Jewish identity,” Greenblatt wrote on X. “Jewish artists shouldn’t be subjected to ideological litmus tests.”
In a cover story profile with The Hollywood Reporter published Thursday, Cohen was asked about “orchestrated” social media campaigns to boycott his latest project, apparently in response to his past support of Israel and growing profile as a defender against antisemitism. While the actor clarified he hasn’t spoken publicly about Israel’s conflict in Gaza since calling for a release of the hostages in 2023, he shared that “this is a trend of Jews being portrayed in certain ways and trying to be silenced.”
Greenblatt shared Thursday that his work with Cohen in confronting hate and disinformation is more important than ever.
“My friend Sacha Baron Cohen has spent years confronting hate and disinformation, and ADL is proud of all the work we’ve done together,” Greenblatt wrote. “In a world where lies spread faster than facts, that work matters more than ever.”
“Thank you, Sacha, for continuing to speak out against hate while making us laugh along the way,” the executive concluded.
Read his remarks in full below:
The “Ali G: Who Iz I?” star told The Hollywood Reporter that it is frustrating when social media makes assumptions about his Israel stance just because he is Jewish.
“I haven’t said anything about Israel. I think people are being portrayed as things that they are not on social media and it’s problematic,” he said. “We are in a world where people can’t distinguish between facts and lies, and that’s something that I’ve spent a lot of the last few years trying to fix.”
He shared that he co-founded a group called Stop Hate for Profit with the NAACP and Color of Change to help combat disinformation online. He also has worked the ADL, which works to stop the defamation of the Jewish people.
“I’m not surprised that prominent Jews are being targeted. I knew that this was going to happen,” he added. “The level of organization is surprising, but this is a trend of Jews being portrayed in certain ways and trying to be silenced.”
When asked specifically if he has noticed a difference in his career as there has been a rise in antisemitism, Cohen admitted “not really.”
“I mean, maybe it’s because I don’t do much, but I haven’t,” he said.
Cohen’s latest film “Ali G: Who Iz I?” comes out in theaters Friday before streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video.
