Mila Kunis, Debra Messing and Mayim Bialik are among more than 200 celebrities and entertainment executives who have signed an open letter calling on Amazon and Barnes & Noble to remove the antisemitic documentary and book, “Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America,” from their respective platforms.
The letter was released by Creative Community for Peace, a non-profit entertainment industry organization. Additional signers of the statement include Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount Pictures; Haim Saban, chairman and CEO of Saban Capital Group; Orly Marley, president of Tuff Gong Worldwide; Rick Rosen, Endeavor co-founder; Disturbed frontman David Draiman; Nina Tassler, co-founder of PatMa Productions; songwriter Diane Warren; comedian Iliza Shlesinger; Ben Silverman, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Propagate Content; and actors Tracy-Ann Oberman and Emmanuelle Chriqui.
The letter reads, “After more than a week of private messages and public calls to take the fallacious book and movie ‘Hebrews to Negroes’ from your sites, you have so far refused to act.”
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“Hebrews to Negroes” was recently promoted by Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving on Twitter, boosting the title to a bestseller on Amazon. According to a statement from Creative Community for Peace, “both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have refused to remove the title and continue to profit from its bigotry.” After a temporary suspension, $500,000 donation to the Anti-Defamation League and having his Nike shoe line dropped, Irving apologized last week for promoting the film.
“At a time in America where there are more per capita hate crimes against Jews than any other minority, overwhelmingly more religious-based hate crimes against the Jewish people than any other religion, and more hate crimes against the Jewish people in New York than any other minority, where a majority of American Jews live, it is unacceptable to allow this type of hate to foment on your platforms,” the letter continues.
“Respected platforms and companies like Amazon and Barnes & Noble have a choice,” said Ari Ingel, director of Creative Community for Peace. “They can either continue to profit off of hatred and antisemitism, while turning a blind eye to the fears of the Jewish community, or they can choose to be an ally, and stand on the right side of history. While free speech is vital, corporations don’t need to help facilitate the spread of dangerous conspiracy theories that threaten the Jewish community. We implore them to take the prudent, responsible steps needed to remove this content.”
Amazon continues to sell other controversial texts, including copies of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf.” However, a note in the description reads, “Proceeds donated to Jewish Charities & Organizations.”
